Pack Mentality
by Vulpeculum
Summary: It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauder's Era, with four new best friends. (Time-Turner Fic) JP/LE and eventual HG/SB (slow burn) *Nominated for 2016 Marauder Medal Best WIP*
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, places, descriptions, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary: **It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauder's Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N:** I know the time-turner fic has been done, but hopefully, I can add something new and make it worth your time. This is my first fic so please R&amp;R! Thank you!

* * *

**Prologue**

There was something feral about their attachment to each other. They often joked they were a family, but in truth it was more than that. They were pack.

It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. James was the alpha, a fact not disputed by anyone. Sirius was his Beta – best friends from the beginning, it couldn't have been any other way. Sirius did his part to challenge James constantly but never grasped for control. He knew and understood his part. Peter was the glue that held them all together, always pulling Remus into the fold whenever the boy hesitated. Remus had his own role, too, though it was mainly trying (and failing) to control James and Sirius. For the most part, Remus was the calmest of the four boys, always along for the ride and never one to start a fight. While he wasn't top dog, he did end up making the most important contribution to the group.

She was very much the runt of the pack in everything but truth. She was a hurricane dipped in fire wrapped in lace. She was the most dangerous sort of woman. Pretty, smart, independent, and damn, she knew it. She met Remus first, and the poor boy couldn't help but be pulled into her soul. Two hours later, she was introduced to James and Sirius.

James saw himself in her instantly and took her quickly under his wing. Sirius fought, tooth and nail, to keep her out of the pack. If you asked him now, he wouldn't even remember why he did. And really, he didn't have a reason. The bastard was loyal to a fault. To Sirius, she was a threat, at least at first. But like the Alpha he was, James stepped in and put Sirius in his place with a few chosen words and a well-placed right hook. And then just like that, the pack was set.

James Potter.

Sirius Black.

Peter Pettigrew.

Remus Lupin.

Hermione Granger.

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**Chapter One: Secrets from Lycoris Black**

**August 15, 1997**

**12 Grimmauld Place**

It was just two weeks since they had run from the mess at the Burrow. Hermione was currently curled up in a chair in the library of 12 Grimmauld Place. Her hair was slightly larger than normal, as she had spent the better part of the morning leaning over a cauldron of polyjuice potion. The Golden Trio was in the process of planning to infiltrate the Ministry of Magic, and their nerves had been electrified ever since discovering the truth about R.A.B.

Ron and Harry were presently at a grocery store in Little Whinging. Grimmauld Place hadn't been prepared for the sudden arrival of the three teenagers, and a certain ginger haired boy had quickly demolished what little food had been stored. It had been Harry's idea to go to Surry. Now that the Dursleys had moved away, there was nothing to tie him to Little Whinging. It had taken a few hours to convince Hermione that they would be safe – they would, after all, be together, and two was better than one. Hermione finally conceded after her stomach loudly interrupted her conversation with Harry. So, Hermione had transfigured their faces with a few waves of her wand and sent them away with a handful of muggle money.

As soon as they left, apparating from the front step of Grimmauld Place, Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. She loved those two boys with all her heart, but with everything that had happened recently, she was beyond thankful for the time she had alone. She sauntered into the library and grabbed the first book that caught her eye.

Sinking into the burgundy chair, Hermione opened the black leather book.

_Secrets of the Department of Mysteries: Lycoris Black (1947)_

After reading the title, Hermione flipped quickly through the pages. Each handwritten letter called out to the curious soul within her, and she broke into a smile as she turned to the first page. A crude table of contents gave brief insight into what she might find within the pages. Running her finger down the page, Hermione gasped as three words flashed before her eyes.

_Designing the Veil (March and April)_

_Sirius._ Hermione flipped to the chapter and began reading, growing frustrated, as it took longer than usual as a result of Lycoris' messy handwriting. Clearly this pureblood hadn't paid attention in calligraphy class.

… _The purpose of the Veil is to create an environment of stasis. The possibilities and uses are quite endless, but the idea is simple. Something that travels through the veil will reach a perfect equilibrium. Time will stop for all intents and purposes and only upon returning will the object resume aging and decaying. _

Hermione couldn't believe what she was reading. This meant there was a way to return from the veil. Sirius could come back, along with whoever else was stuck in limbo. Hermione's vision blurred and she blinked her eyes to clear them. A wet spot appeared on the page below her and she realized she was starting to cry.

_It has come to my knowledge that my superiors have chosen to take a different route with my Veil. (Can I even call it mine still?) Apparently a return trip is unnecessary for their wants. I can only assume they mean to send witches and wizards through the darkness. I have agreed publicly to follow their direction, but I cannot allow myself to create something so… permanent. Maybe I am looking out for the public or maybe I'm just looking out for myself. _

_A return trip __is__ possible. I have guaranteed it. But for now this information shall only leave my head to travel to this page. I fear my superiors would be a little too willing to find faults in my theory if they were to discover what I had done. _

_It's a simple spell, in truth, based on the Accio charm. _

"_Accio ex tenebrae - ex obscurum." _

_According to my theories and research, the spell can only be effective if used in tandem with the subject's given name. If I had more time perhaps I could develop alternative options, but I fear this is all I can do at the moment…_

Hermione shut the book and ran upstairs to Sirius's room. It was immaculately clean, as Harry had set to cleaning his godfather's house whenever he fell into moments of hopelessness. Hermione sat on Sirius' childhood bed and stared at the posters on the wall in front of her. The still images of muggle bands and motorbikes and bikini-clad models brought out the smallest of smiles. She took two deep breaths before standing, raising her wand and pointing it at the armchair in the corner of the room.

"Accio ex tenebrae, Sirius Orion Black, ex obscurum!" She closed her eyes and raised her voice, gaining confidence. "ACCIO EX TENEBRAE, SIRIUS ORION BLACK, EX OBSCURUM!"

A gust of wind seemed to pass straight through her and Hermione fell to her knees. Her muscles instantly weakened while a throbbing pain grew in her head. The room felt as if it were spinning out of control; the lights darkened. Then nothing.

Hermione couldn't pick her head up to look at the chair, but she knew no one would be in it. Her eyes were clenched shut as she berated herself in her head. What had she been thinking? She had just performed an unknown spell, an unknown powerful spell created by a member of the noble and most ancient house of Black. Stupid girl! She had just wanted to try. The possibility that Harry could have his godfather back was all she needed to convince her to try.

On hands and knees, Hermione fought to catch her breath. Her inhales and exhales seemed strangely loud in the quiet room. She made a conscious effort to quiet and slow her breathing, and then realized it wasn't her breaths making all the noise.

Despite the pain in her head, Hermione shot up, eyes focused on the dark corner and chair that stood before her. Her eyes were not adjusted to the darkness and she couldn't even make out the outline of the chair yet.

"Sirius?" Her voice was shaky and she was surprised to find she was hoarse. A hand absentmindedly moved to her throat. She tried again. "Sirius?"

"Hello?" A voice just as quiet and rough as hers answered. Hermione sunk down to sit on her heels. Her eyes closed and wiped away the tears already building.

"Sirius? Please, please tell me it's you."

"Who is that? Where am I?"

"No. First, your name. Tell me your name."

"Um, Black. Sirius Black."

"Oh, Merlin!" Hermione launched forward and threw herself into the arms of the surprised Sirius Black. She wrapped her arms around him and sobbed into his shoulder. The man in the chair sat stiff as a board as the young witch assaulted him with her hug. After a moment, he seemed to get over the shock and grasped her arms, pulling her away from him so he could see her face.

"Her-Hermione? What? Wait- what?"

"Oh, Sirius! You're back. You're really, really back."

"Hermione, what's going on? Where am I? What's happened?"

Hermione opened her mouth to start to explain, suddenly remembering the words of Sirius' relative. He had been in stasis. He had no idea what had happened, no idea about the Veil, his supposed death, or anything that had happened in the year that followed. Through the darkness, she sought out the man's eyes.

"Hermione? We're back! Where are you?" Harry's voice trailed from downstairs. Sirius' eyes widened at the sound of his godson's voice and he stood up from the chair. Still grasping Hermione's arms, he moved her with him. Footsteps grew louder as Harry and Ron made it to the hallway just outside Sirius' door.

"Hermione? Are you up here?"

"Harry, Sirius' door is open."

The two boys pulled out their wands and stepped forward towards the door. Harry pushed the door open further to see into the room.

"Lumos Maxima." Harry's wand illuminated the room, bathing Sirius and Hermione in a soft light. The four stayed perfectly still for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, it was Ron who broke the silence.

"Bloody hell, Hermione. As if breaking into the ministry wasn't enough, you had to go and find a way to bring Sirius back. Tell me, how long have you been working on this and why didn't you tell us?"

Hermione and Harry stared at Ron and his insane ability to take Sirius' return in so quickly. The confusion on Sirius' face was growing as this was the second time he heard mention of himself coming back. But the last thing he remembered was fighting at the Ministry. So where had he gone?

"Sirius?" Harry began, stepping toward the older man. He glanced at Hermione. "Is it really him?"

"He-he only appeared seconds before you and Ron returned," she answered, her voice still weak and shaky. "But from all I can tell, um, it's him. It's really him, Harry."

Harry looked back at his godfather and pulled him into a hug. Returning the hug, Sirius was forced to let go of the witch before him. Unaware of just how much she had been using Sirius as support, Hermione felt the exhaustion and pain return to her as she struggled to remain upright. She smiled weakly as the two men hugged each other before succumbing to the effects of the spell. The room went dark again and Hermione barely registered her shoulder hitting the floor harshly before the world disappeared.

* * *

**A/N: **Lycoris Black is Sirius' great-uncle on his father's side. I'm not 100% sure this is correct, as I found the information online and well, you know how reliable the internet is. Anyway, I'm trying to be as accurate as I can with specific dates and such, but I am, of course, bound to make mistakes. Please feel free to correct me and I will hopefully be able to remedy the mistake! Thank you to all who read. I really appreciate it!

Much love. - V.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **I've always seen Sirius as loyal to a fault so that's why I put him as Beta. James being the leader doesn't necessarily mean he's the one coming up with pranks and what not. If anything, it means he's able to recognize Remus' brilliance, Sirius' charm, and Peter's need to belong and look to them for help. I've always been a little hesitant about some writers' portrayal of Peter's relationship with the other Marauders, so I'm trying something a little different. In a lot of fics I've read, the boys are straight off the bat dismissive of Peter and tease him constantly. I want to show a dynamic where we can see where Peter turns off. Honestly, he might not even turn until just before his betrayal.

As for Hermione's time in the Marauders' Era... Since Hermione is the insufferable know-it-all, I'm going to let her explain how her being back in time works (ie whether she can change things, whether it's an alternate universe, etc). As for her attitude in the Marauders' Era, it will be different from her attitude with Harry and Ron. For the most part this is because she's around different people. (I personally believe the people you are around greatly affect how you act.) Dealing with Ron and dealing with Sirius are certainly not the same. Also, she'll be in different circumstances. She's not running for her life. Hermione won't be a spitfire in the sense that Ginny is usually associated with, but she will definitely be bolder.

Also, I forgot to mention: Remus is not with Tonks. At this point in the books, Remus and Tonks are married. In my fic, they had a bit of a romantic situation, including Tonks pushing and Remus pushing away, but it is over and ended.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Back to Reality**

**August 16, 1997**

**12 Grimmauld Place**

That was it- the moment when you first wake up. You don't know who you are or even where you are. And for some reason you don't even care. For those precious seconds, the only thing you're thinking is how good it feels to stretch. Those beautiful few seconds are the best part of the day, just before the world comes crashing back down to remind you of everything you did, everything you didn't do, and everything you still have before you. Those precious seconds of anonymity give way to the mistakes of yesterday and the regrets of the present. The dawn gives way for the day.

Back arched, head back, Hermione soaked in the moment, hoping it would last just a bit longer. And suddenly, those few seconds of absolute bliss gave way to flashes of memory. Eyes half-opened now jerked alert, searching her surroundings. A tiny yelp escaped her lips before she clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Sirius," she whispered. Hermione glanced around the room that had been serving as her bedroom since the trio had arrived at Grimmauld Place. For a few seconds she thought perhaps she had dreamed it all, but voices drifted up through the floor. It was one voice in particular, familiar all the same but deeper and rougher than the voices of her two best friends. Eyes wide, Hermione launched herself from the bed and ran down the stairs.

Stopping in the doorway to the kitchen, Hermione took in the scene around her. Ron was filling up glasses with water from the tap and handed one to… Remus.

Hermione felt terrible at the sudden sinking of her heart. She felt her face fall into a frown. She stood there for a moment before her best friend and ex-professor finally noticed her. They seemed a bit surprised to see her.

"Hermione!" Remus moved around the table to near her. He reached for her arms and Hermione was reminded of the way Sirius had held her in her dream. "What are you doing out of bed? You should have called for someone."

"Wait, what? Pro-Remus, what are you talking about? Why are you here?" Hermione stopped herself from calling him Professor Lupin. After all they had been through, it just didn't seem right to address him so formerly. Confusion was starting to sink in and Hermione took a moment to examine her surroundings.

Remus and Ron were both covered in a thin layer of sweat. Ron had a black smudge on the side of his nose and similar marks on his hands. A slight breeze passed through the room and Hermione craned her neck to see the front door standing wide open. Remembering herself, she turned back to Remus.

"I mean, sorry, I'm so glad to see you. I'm sorry, Remus, I didn't mean to sound so harsh."

"Well, Harry and Ron sent me a patronus yesterday and I came straight away." Hermione turned to look at Ron.

"You didn't mention you were going to contact Remus. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Um, Hermione, you were a bit passed out. It's not like you were available for conversation."

"Wait, what?!"

Before Ron could answer, two more bodies moved through the front hall. Harry and Sirius walked into the kitchen laughing. Sirius had one arm thrown around Harry's shoulder and Harry was wiping his hands with a dirty towel. They both stopped in their tracks as soon as they saw Hermione.

"So, so I didn't dream it? Sirius is back?" She glanced from Sirius to Harry to Ron to Remus back to Sirius.

"Thanks to you, love," Remus smiled down at her before moving her toward the kitchen table. It seemed a long conversation was in order. The other three men joined them at the table and the laughter disappeared from Sirius' eyes.

"I thought I was dreaming. I thought I made it all up. And when I woke up… but then I heard voices. But I couldn't place one of them, so I thought maybe I didn't dream it all. And then Remus, and- and – and now Sirius…" Hermione trailed off, staring deep into Sirius' eyes. "Wait! Does he know what happened to him?"

Harry and Ron shared a look. Harry nodded at Ron to continue.

"Hermione, you kind of passed out after Sirius came back. We weren't really sure what to do. You've been passed out for an entire day. Harry sent a patronus to Remus and he came over this morning. We've already explained everything to Sirius, he's all caught up."

"Well, not all caught up. I'd like to know exactly how you managed to bring me home, and how my supposed best friend couldn't even figure it out." Sirius playfully glared at Remus who rolled his eyes in return. All four pairs of eyes landed on Hermione who was still trying to process how she had been asleep for the past 24 hours.

"Um, well, it kind of all happened so fast. I had grabbed a random book to read while the boys were off in Surrey, and I just sort of found it."

"I'm sorry," Harry choked out. "You just _happened_ to find a way to bring Sirius back from the dead?"

"Oh, he wasn't dead. He was in a sort of holding space. It's actually a bit ironic. See, Sirius' relative designed the Veil. That's the book I found. Oh, hold on!"

Hermione ran upstairs to Sirius' room. Opening the door, it looked exactly the same as it had last night, but this time, Sirius' bed was a mess of sheets and blankets. Hermione couldn't help but smile. More proof the Marauder had returned.

She found the black leather journal under the table beside Sirius' bed. She flipped open the pages as she made her way back down the kitchen. She turned to the part about the Veil and held it in front of Sirius to read.

"Your relative Lycoris Black worked for the Department of Mysteries. He designed the Veil and figured out a way to return things that had fallen through. I just happened to pick up this book and see this chapter. I didn't even really think about it before I tried the spell, which in retrospect probably wasn't the best idea."

"Hey, I'm not complaining, pup," Sirius interrupted her, eyes glued to the words of his great-uncle. Hermione blushed at her nickname. The summer before fifth year, Sirius had tried to call the trio his pups, but fifteen year old Harry and Ron were too "mature" to allow the playful nickname. Instead, Sirius designated it as a name solely for Hermione, who at the time was much too shy to protest. The nickname didn't bother her a bit now, and actually made her feel closer to Sirius.

"Um, Harry," Hermione said, quietly. "Have you explained to Sirius what we're doing here?" She glanced toward Remus nervously. The werewolf had overheard the trio making plans to go on the run at the Burrow and was very vocal about his disapproval. He didn't, however, know the details of the horcrux business.

"Oh, you mean the bit about Old Moldy's scraps of soul?" Sirius smirked bitterly.

"Harry!"

"Sorry, Hermione. We weren't sure how long you'd be out and we needed help with the polyjuice potion and Remus was here and he wanted an explanation and Ron kind of blurted out the bit about Umbridge having a horcrux-"

"Sorry," Ron mumbled. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, so then we had to give Remus the whole explanation, and Sirius got all mad 'cause he didn't want to be left out, and he started going on about how he's lost all this time and wants to be helpful, and…"

Harry trailed off, while eyeing Hermione. The witch seemed as if she was fighting with herself over whether to be upset or understanding. A few seconds passed, and it appeared she made her decision. With a sigh, she replied to the boys.

"You're right, I'm sorry. It was smart of you to ask Remus for help. There were about four steps that needed to be taken care of today. Did you get to them?" Remus nodded.

"Good," she smiled and turned to Sirius as her smile slipped into a concerned frown. "I know _I've_ been in bed all day, but don't you need to rest? You must be terribly overwhelmed."

"Slept a perfect eight hours last night," the raven-haired wizard winked at her. Remus coughed rather loudly. "Alright, five hours. But hey, that's practically a lie in for me. Plus, Harry let slip that Hagrid was riding my bike again and I figured a tune-up would be in order."

_So that explained the black marks and sweat on all the boys, _Hermione thought. She glanced at the four boys at the table.

"This is all a bit strange isn't it? I mean, aside from the obvious strangeness of not going back to Hogwarts." Ron rolled his eyes at Hermione here. Not returning for NEWTs had been his favorite part of the plan. Hermione shot Ron a glare before continuing, motioning around the table.

"I mean, all of us here, in Grimmauld Place. It's like it was before, two years ago, and yet everything has changed. Sirius is back. Regulus was actually _good_. Dumbledore's gone. For goodness sake, I haven't even looked at the seventh year reading list."

For a second all was quiet in the kitchen, and Hermione thought she had spoken up too much. She blushed and looked down at the table.

"I'm sorry, pup," Sirius said, looking intently at her. "What did you say about my brother?"

"Um, that he was actually good?" Hermione paled, scared that Sirius was about to go off about his brother. She was used to hearing him curse about his family, and his brother was no doubt included in the list of the damned.

"No, no, pup. You must be mistaken. My brother was a complete coward, devoted to the dark side." Hermione stared at Harry and Ron incredulously.

"Harry, Ron, I thought you said Sirius was caught up? Then why doesn't he know the truth about Regulus?" The two teenagers looked sheepish.

"Sirius, what these two idiots have failed to tell you is that your brother switched sides. He actually obtained one of the horcruxes right before he died. Your brother is a hero, Sirius. He was a part of the dark side and realized his error. I think you managed to instill a little Gryffindor courage in him."

Sirius turned his eyes away from the group for a minute before bringing them back to rest on Remus. It seemed as if he was trying to hold a conversation with his friend with just his eyes. Remus clearly didn't understand. Remus raised an eyebrow and Sirius sighed.

"That actually explains a lot. Well, it explains why _someone_ was so kind to him when we were at Hogwarts."

Remus' eyes widened and the Golden Trio shared matching looks of curiosity. It was Ron who spoke up next.

"Wait, you had a Gryffindor friend who was _nice_ to Regulus?"

"Yeah, we were actually pretty close. I never really understood what she saw in him, but… I'm proud of him for changing sides. She must have know he was capable of good. You know she actually reminds me of h-"

"Wow. So much new information. Everyone must be tired," Remus interrupted, pulling out a pocket watch. "And Merlin! Look at the time. Hermione, you should surely be back in bed, and Ron and Harry, you all have a lot of preparing to do tomorrow. Off you go."

Everyone started to clear out of the kitchen. Ron took hold of Hermione's arm and helped her up the stairs to her room. Hermione looked back down to Remus and Sirius, smiling to herself. Honestly, she was so incredibly proud of herself for bringing Sirius back. Remus really deserved a friend and Harry needed family. She, Ron, and Harry continued on toward their floor of Grimmauld Place. Sirius began to follow before Remus called to him.

"Padfoot! Don't thing just because you're back from the dead you don't have to help clean up!" Sirius sighed and turned back toward Remus. Hermione raised an eyebrow. They hadn't eaten anything; there shouldn't be anything to clean up. She let Harry and Ron go ahead of her. The boys were fighting over which Ministry employee they were going to impersonate.

"What's up, Moony?"

"Sirius, sit down."

"Aw, Moony, why the long face?" Hermione's eyes widened as she heard Remus growl in response.

"What the hell were you thinking?"

"About what, my dear furry-friend?"

"You know what."

"Oh, are you finally going to admit that she existed now?"

"I've accepted long ago that her-"

"Hermione? Come on!" Ron shouted, bringing Hermione out of focus. She stole one more glance toward the hallway that led to the kitchen. She had to admit, she was curious about this mysterious "she," but sleep was calling to her again.

Hermione wandered back to her room and fell asleep almost instantly. Her dreams were filled of strange creatures and Marauders and silly pranks. When Harry walked into her room later that night, he was pleased to see a smile upon her face.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **This next week is going to be quite busy, so I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update. So, here is chapter 3 a little ahead of schedule!

**To gemini-rose16 **\- The nature of the pack isn't based on the actual canine qualities of the Marauders and Hermione. Their dynamic isn't going to be like a literal wolf pack. The idea of the pack is more of a metaphor for their relationships with each other than an actual solidified wolf pack. I hope that makes sense. And as the story progresses, it will make more sense.

* * *

**Chapter 3: The Cards That Are Dealt**

**August 18, 1997**

**12 Grimmauld Place**

Hermione walked to the kitchen, padding softly in her fuzzy socks. She stopped in the doorway and thought about turning around when she saw who else was in the room. Sirius was facing the wall as he poured himself a cup of tea. Both Sirius and Remus had been acting a bit strange since their conversation in the hall two days before. Hermione assumed it was Marauder business and it would be best for her not to get involved. But nonetheless she worried about the two men.

Hermione lived in constant worry for Remus, ever since her third year at Hogwarts. She considered her ex-professor to be one of the bravest men she had ever met. Her heart broke when she thought of the years of full moons he spent completely alone. From what she had seen of his suffering in the time Sirius had been assumed dead, she couldn't bring herself to imagine what it had been like before.

And then there was the whole mess with Tonks. Hermione just couldn't understand why Remus had kept her at a distance. It had been clear to everyone that Tonks wanted to be more than friends, but Remus had seemed completely opposed to the idea. It was no secret that Tonks was beautiful, not in a traditional sense but still, so that obviously wasn't the issue. Hermione thought it was perhaps the looming war that scared Remus, which made her laugh. _She _was supposed to be the overly cautious one, and even _she_ thought if anyone had a chance for love now, it was well worth the risk.

So that really only left the age-difference. Remus was about 13 years older than Tonks, but it hadn't bothered Tonks at all. (Or Molly for that matter.) Hermione admitted to herself, she felt a little disappointed in Remus for rejecting Tonks over something so trivial. His rejection may have made sense in the muggle world, but witches and wizards lived longer than muggles, making a 13-year difference much smaller in the grand scheme of things. If she was being truly honest with herself, Hermione was afraid for Remus. She was afraid he would never allow himself to find love and end up alone. If he couldn't do it, could she?

And then there was Sirius. The man no doubt had his issues that spanned his entire life, but Hermione was worried he wasn't able to properly deal with everything now that he had been thrown right back into the middle of the war. Professor Moody was gone; Professor Dumbledore was gone. And then Regulus.

The day before Hermione had been walking back to her room after getting a cup of tea in the middle of the night. Being knocked out for an entire day had messed with her sleeping schedule and she had hoped a nice cup of tea would help her relax. As she walked to her room, she had heard a faint crash coming from the other end of the hallway, specifically from what had originally been Regulus' room.

She had inched open the door to find Sirius kneeling beside Regulus' untouched bed. The lamp that had previously sat on the bedside table was across the room, and there was now a hole in the wall. Hermione's eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat.

"Sirius?" She whispered, completely unsure of herself. She had experience comforting Harry and somewhat Ron, although the ginger never really showed much of an emotional range other than anger, happiness, and boredom. But Sirius, Sirius was different. This man had seen true horror, and he couldn't be fixed with a cup of tea and a trip to see Hagrid.

Hermione slowly approached Sirius and knelt beside him, placing her mug of tea on the bedside table. Sirius had fallen to his knees beside Regulus' bed, one arm holding his face and head and the other clutching a ball of green and black fabric. Staring at him, Hermione wondered how he managed to hold the weight of the world and still be so much more than a shell of a man. She wrapped her arms softly around him so as not to spook him.

They sat there without talking. The only sounds in the room were the muffled ticking of the clock on the wall and their breathing, which slowly synchronized. After a couple of minutes, Sirius lifted his head.

"Hey, pup." It was just a whisper. And by the hoarseness of his voice, Hermione could tell he had been screaming. _He must have cast a silencing charm_.

"Hi, Sirius," she whispered back. They moved apart, and Hermione reached for her forgotten mug. "I'm afraid it might be a bit cold now, but maybe a warming spell will help."

Sirius took the mug and offered a weak smile in return. Hermione smiled back.

"Oh!" She turned and reached for her wand, mumbling a quick summoning charm. A small bottle of Ogden's Finest flew into the room. She unscrewed the cap and poured a bit into the mug of tea before saying a warming spell. She looked up to meet Sirius' eyes.

Sirius looked at the witch with mirth in his eyes. He stood and pulled Hermione up with him.

"Better run along there, pup," Sirius nudged her toward the door. "Wouldn't want Professor Moony seeing you out after curfew." Hermione scoffed at the Marauder.

"After all the stories I've heard about you two, I don't think I could take Remus seriously as a professor again." Sirius weakly barked out a laugh. Hermione's eyes lit up with pride before her eyebrows furrowed and a worried gaze fell across her face.

"But honestly, Sirius, are you okay? Is there anything I can do?"

"You've done enough, pup. Thank you." Sirius set the mug and the green and black cloth down and set his hands on Hermione's shoulders. He sought out her eyes with an intense stare. "Thank you."

As Hermione walked back to her room, she knew Sirius was thanking her for more than just sitting with him for a moment.

When she had awoken the next morning, she was a bit reluctant to see the Animagus. While she considered herself to be close to Remus now, she knew she wasn't on the same level with Sirius. Their interaction last night had left her feeling a bit confused. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to acknowledge what had happened or not.

She managed to avoid him for most of the day, busying herself with the polyjuice potion while the boys looked at maps of the Ministry with Remus. Later that evening, Hermione took her chances and wandered toward the kitchen for a cup of tea. So when she saw Sirius, she panicked. Before Hermione could decide what to do, the cause of her worry spoke up.

"Come on in, pup, I've got enough for two cups."

"How did you know if was me?" Sirius turned around and tapped his nose twice.

"I'm sorry, are you telling me you _smelled_ me? I thought only Remus could do that."

Sirius chuckled as the pouting witch moved to grab a cup of tea. They wandered into the drawing room where Remus was napping. Hermione took a seat in her favorite armchair, while Sirius stood contemplating sitting on Remus before taking his own seat at Remus' feet.

"Had a bit of a mishap when we were learning to become Animagi. Can't complain though. These heightened senses come in handy all the time." Sirius took a deep breath. "I like your new shampoo. It's different than what you had before, though I kind of miss the lavender."

"Your sniffer must be broken, Sirius," Hermione laughed, shaking her head. "I didn't have lavender shampoo two years ago."

"Oh, right. That's not what I meant." Before Hermione could question Sirius, Remus violently kicked out, sending Sirius crashing to the floor. Hermione jumped up, dropped her mug, and stared at Remus in shock as he began shaking uncontrollably.

Remus' eyes flashed open and he rolled off the couch, landing on his hands and knees. His breathing was ragged and sweat was beginning to gather on his hairline. Sirius and Hermione both stared at Remus in horror before catching each other's gaze.

"It's not?"

"Oh Merlin, it is."

"But the potion-"

"Not since Snape."

"But how-"

"He usually hides himself away, but with you coming back, he must have forgotten. I must have forgotten."

"You need to get out of here."

"Sirius! I can't leave you here!"

"Animagus, remember? Get Harry and Ron, you all need to apparate away. This house is too old and Moony's too strong for me to bar him in one room."

"Are you s-"

"Dammit, Hermione. Get the boys and get out of here!" Sirius shouted, alerting Remus who was, at present, ripping his shirt off. His skin was expanding and breaking and moving, his bones snapping and reshaping. Hermione couldn't take her eyes off the grotesque sight. Remus was almost transformed.

"Hermione," Sirius's voice game out forcefully, almost a growl. "Get. Out."

Snapping out of it, the witch ran out of the drawing room and headed for the stairs. A large crash sounded from behind her and she slowed to look back. She barely caught a glimpse of Padfoot being thrown across the room before she whipped her head around, continuing up the stairs.

She burst into Harry's room, and as luck would have it neither of the boys was there. She ran to Ron's room, bursting in to see the boys on the floor playing Exploding Snap.

"Get up." Hermione breathed, adrenaline running and out of breath. The two boys looked at her with a mixture of shock and confusion. In that moment, Hermione looked crazed.

"Hermione, what the hell?"

"Harry. Ron. Get up. We forgot. We forgot what day it was." She was moving quickly around the room, grabbing various items. "Follow me!"

Hermione dashed out of the room with Harry and Ron at her heels. Over the years, the boys had learned that questioning Hermione usually led to painful repercussions. The boys shared a look before following her into her room a floor below. Hermione grabbed her purse and opened it, pushing the items she had grabbed from Ron's room inside. She shoved the bag into one of Harry's hands, grabbed his other hand along with one of Ron's, and moved them back down the stairs.

"Hermione! What's going on?" Ron panted. All of a sudden, an angry howl echoed from below. Hermione turned to face her best friends.

"It's the full moon and we forgot. Moony is downstairs with Padfoot. We need to get somewhere safe." Another howl echoed, this time followed by frantic barking. The trio continued their way down the stairs, slowing toward the bottom.

"Harry do you remember where I took us after the wedding?"

"Erm, Tottenham Court?"

"Exactly. Apparate there once we make it outside, and take Ron with you. He won't know how to get there. I'll meet you there, and then we can decide where to spend the night." The boys nodded and the trio moved quietly and quickly toward the front door. The banging and crashing in the drawing room, escalated before dying down a bit. The calm worried Hermione.

They made it to the door, throwing it open. Hermione shoved the boys forward, her sweater catching on Harry's wand.

"Oh no."

"Hermione, what?"

"My wand."

"What do you mean, your wand?" Crash.

"My wand is inside."

"Do you need it?" Boom.

"Of course I _need_ it, Ronald. We're in the middle of a war."

"Hermione, if you can get it safely, get it. We need to go." Hermione nodded at Harry.

"You both go ahead. Don't shake your head at me, Harry Potter. I know how Moony is without wolfsbane. If I can't reach it, I'll leave it. I'll be right behind you I promise. Just go!" She pushed the boys down the steps and gave them a powerful glare before turning back inside. She felt a tiny wave of relief as she heard the recognizable 'pop' of apparation.

She moved toward the drawing room. She could see her wand on the floor where she had dropped it. The door on the other side of the drawing room was open, claw marks scratched down its side.

_Maybe they've left the room_, Hermione thought, inching forward. She tried to focus on any and all sounds. _It's just a few steps in. I think I can make it_.

Hermione inched forward and dropped down to pick up her wand. She let out a sigh of relief. Her sigh was louder than anticipated and she gasped, drawing another hand to cover her mouth. She turned to stand up but was knocked down by a powerful force. Her vision blurred, and the back of her head stung. Hermione found she couldn't move her arms, and she looked up to see an enormous wolf, foaming at the mouth. A drop of drool fell from the creatures muzzle into Hermione's hair.

Moony opened his powerful jaws and Hermione turned away, trying to escape. She screamed just as his fangs met her shoulder.

"SIRIUS!"

* * *

**A/N: **I have a feeling there is going to be some concern over Ron and Harry just leaving Hermione. To some extent, I have to push the boundaries so certain plot points can happen, and you'll have to excuse me. But also remember, adrenaline is running high; it's spur of the moment. And Harry and Ron aren't known as the rational ones. If Hermione says go, and she seems more calm and collected, they'll probably follow her suggestion (think Devil's Snare episode). I hope this wasn't too out of character.

Much love. -V.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **I'm not 100% happy with this chapter, but I'm at the point where it is what it is. Hope it's passable! And thank you for reading!

* * *

**Chapter 4: The Inevitable**

**August 19, 1997**

**12 Grimmauld Place**

_She moved toward the drawing room. She could see her wand on the floor where she had dropped it. The door on the other side of the drawing room was open, claw marks scratched down its side._

'_Maybe they've left the room,' Hermione thought, inching forward. She tried to focus on any and all sounds. 'It's just a few steps in. I think I can make it.' _

_Hermione inched forward and dropped down to pick up her wand. She let out a sigh of relief. Her sigh was louder than anticipated and she gasped, drawing another hand to cover her mouth. She turned to stand up but was knocked down by a powerful force. Her vision blurred, and the back of her head stung. Hermione found she couldn't move her arms, and she looked up to see an enormous wolf, foaming at the mouth._

_Moony opened his powerful jaws and Hermione turned away, trying to escape. She screamed just as his fangs met her shoulder._

"SIRIUS!"

Moony clamped down on Hermione's shoulder as Padfoot barreled into the room. Padfoot skidded on the floor before snapping his jaws at the werewolf in front of him. He bit at Moony's legs and scratched with his uncut claws. Moony released Hermione and turned toward the shaggy dog.

Hermione's left side was covered in blood, blood that was now dripping from Moony's muzzle. Her blood was seeping into the carpet and matting her hair as she struggled to crawl away from the fighting canines. She was losing blood and quickly losing consciousness.

Padfoot and Moony wrestled. Thankfully, this time Sirius was healthier than he was when the two fought during Hermione's third year at Hogwarts. This time, although Moony was supernaturally powerful, the fight was more evenly matched. Padfoot got a few good swipes in before Moony kicked him into the wall. Padfoot made contact with a loud snap.

Moony stood still for a moment. The room looked disastrous. Blood marked the carpet and there was even some on the walls. Sirius lay in a heap by the wall near the bookshelf, and Hermione was slowly and quietly trying to inch her way toward her wand, which had been knocked further from her grasp. Moony stood in the middle of the room, tail upright, teeth bared, blood and spit dripping to the floor, eyes on fire.

Moony was struggling on who to face next- the defenseless human or the canine who had refused to submit. The wolf cocked his head from side to side. Slowly, he began to advance on Hermione once again, but this time much more slowly. His shoulders rolled with every step. Hermione stopped moving and stared directly into golden eyes. She shut hers, stopping a tear in her lashes.

_This is it,_ she thought.

But suddenly, with a bright red flash and a deafening boom, the enormous bookshelf separated from the wall and landed on top of Moony, barely missing the unconscious Padfoot.

Harry and Ron stood in the doorway to the drawing room, jaws on the ground. Hermione lifted her head, tears pouring down her cheeks, but she made no sound. She glanced at the fallen bookshelf. The bookshelf was made of iron with silver decals on the side, and added with its numerous tomes and artifacts, the weight had effectively knocked the wolf unconscious.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Hermione looked at her saviors. Ron lowered his wand arm and looked away from her. Hermione followed Harry's gaze to Padfoot who was trying still unmoving.

"Harry, help Sirius," she said, her voice weak. "You need to get him out of Padfoot's form. I need help. I'm going to pass out soon, and you all need to heal me. Quickly, please."

Harry nodded and silently walked over to his godfather.

The pain in Hermione's shoulder was fading into a slight throb. Her vision was filling with dark spots overlapping each other one by one until… darkness.

"Enervate," he said forcefully. Padfoot stirred, shaking his massive head. He was weakened and hurt, but he was awake. "Padfoot, change back. We need to help Hermione."

The calmness in his voice scared Harry. He was going into shock and soon would cease to be useful. From the looks of Ron's pale face, he was already there. Two seconds late, Sirius stood in Padfoot's place, clothes ripped and skin bloodied. He took in the sight of the room quickly before rushing to Hermione's side.

"I'm so sorry, love," he whispered, picking up her limp body in his arms. "I'm so, so sorry."

Sirius motioned with his head for the boys, and with a final look at the room, carried Hermione up to her bedroom.

After laying Hermione on her bed, Sirius ran to the bathroom and grabbed towels and summoning a bucket of water. Harry and Ron were flat up against the wall, frozen in shock, each wizard remembering seeing Hermione petrified years before. As frightening as that episode had been, it in no way prepared them for the bloody mess of the girl that lay before them.

"Harry!" Sirius shouted as he tended to Hermione, trying to clear away as much blood as he could to get to the bite. "Where does Hermione keep her healing supplies?"

Harry was silent. Sirius jumped up from the side of the bed and crossed the room. He slapped Harry across the face and grabbed his shoulders.

"You're best friend has just been bitten by a werewolf. If you want her to have a chance at surviving, you are going to start moving. Now!" He turned to Ron. "Don't make me hit you, too, Weasley!"

Harry and Ron stared at Sirius, coming out of their shock as adrenaline flooded their systems once again. Harry ran down the stairs and to the front door to get Hermione's beaded bag. Ron ran to the kitchen to search the cabinets, remembering how Hermione had set aside extras "just in case."

While the boys ran for supplies, Sirius dabbed a wet towel on Hermione's shoulder. He set the towel down and ripped her shirt apart, allowing more access to the wound. Hermione's eyes were closed and her breathing was slowed. She appeared to be unconscious.

"Sorry about the shirt, love, but if you can get through this for me, I'll buy you a million shirts. Come on, Hermione. I know you can do this. You've done it before. Fight for me, please pup."

Sirius sighed.

"It had to happen, pup. I'm so, so sorry. If it could be any other way… I swear- I- I just can't. I'm too selfish. You've got to forgive me, pup. I'm so sorry."

Sirius stopped talking as he heard Harry and Ron's footsteps returning to the stairs.

"I forgive you, Remus."

Her voice was so quiet that Sirius was almost convinced he had imagined her speak.

* * *

Hermione's shoulder was bandaged and she had a flight of pain potions lying next to her bed. Harry, Ron, and Sirius were taking turns sitting with Hermione and keeping an eye on Moony. Currently, Ron had pulled a chair close to Hermione's side. He held her hand, absentmindedly stroking her skin with his thumb. He hung his head and cried silently.

Harry and Sirius were downstairs, standing a foot or two outside the drawing room. Sirius felt like a failure. He could feel the anger rolling off Harry in powerful waves.

"Harry, you have to know- I tried. I don't know how he got away from me. I had him in the dining room and then all of a sudden- I tried, Harry. I tried."

Harry was silent. He was fighting with some unknown force within him, and it looked like it was winning.

"I want to kill him, Sirius. I want Remus dead. But I know that's crazy. He's our friend. He's Hermione's friend. He didn't mean to hurt her; it wasn't his fault. I _know_ that, but I still want to kill him."

Harry stared at the fallen werewolf before turning to face his godfather. The anger had disappeared from his face and was replaced by fear. Sirius hardened his expression so his face wouldn't betray what he was feeling inside. This was why Lily and James had picked him to be godfather, for the impossible moments like this.

"Harry, we can't think about what _we_ want right now. We need to be able to help Remus and Hermione through this. Tomorrow they are going to wake up, scared and angry. Remus will no doubt try to get himself killed, either by you and Ron or Hermione or even himself. Hermione is going to be overwhelmed with emotions and feelings she won't be ready to comprehend.

"And you know Ron is going to have a hard time accepting what has happened to his friend. We need to be the strong ones, Harry. We can't let them face tomorrow alone."

Harry nodded and looked down at his feet. He knew Sirius was right, but he still couldn't completely shake how murderous he felt. He was literally restraining himself from launching himself violently at the werewolf. Sirius put his arm around Harry's shoulder.

"This is what makes a true hero, Harry, not someone who is brave for themselves, but someone who is brave for others."

"We left her, Sirius. She told us to go, and we just left her. I don't even know what we were thinking. We're supposed to protect each other. It's what we've always done. Bu-But we failed this time. Ron and I failed her. I don't know how I'm going to face her."

"You'll do what you lot always do. Be strong and lean on each other."

Sirius turned from the boys and headed to relieve Ron of his duty upstairs. In a way, as Sirius left Harry alone with Moony, he was telling the boy that he trusted him, that he believed he was good. And Harry remembered for the umpteenth time how thankful he was for the bit of family he had left.

As he made his way back up the stairs, Sirius braced himself with his coming talk with Ron. He knew the Weasley boy had a temper to match his hair, and he honestly had no idea how Ron was going to react. He stepped into Hermione's room gingerly.

"I know you're scared, 'Mione." The redhead was whispering softly to his sleeping friend. "I mean, _I'm_ scared 'Mione. We both know Harry and Remus are going to go absolutely mad over this. And we both know Sirius is just as freaked out. Seems like I'm the only one who remembers that it's you lying here. Huh, brightest witch of our generation, and they're probably all downstairs thinking you're going to fall apart.

I know, I know. Don't need to tell me twice. You're the only thing keeping _us_ from falling apart. Just do one think for me, 'kay? Just get through the night, and wake up tomorrow. Just be okay, please? And I swear, I won't even say anything when you go all crazy in the library looking up every single book with even a mention of werewolves. I promise.

Just wake up tomorrow, and we'll take it one day at a time. It'll be okay, 'Mione. I promise."

Sirius stood, dumbstruck, in the doorway. _What the hell just happened?_ _What the hell was that?_ He glanced behind him, thinking maybe Ron and Harry had switched places. This was Ronald Weasley, the pureblood boy with jealous tendencies. It seemed Hermione was able to teach him a thing in school after all.

* * *

The drawing room was spotless. Harry had taken to cleaning the room after Sirius went to relieve Ron. He cleaned the Muggle way, without his wand, and somehow it had made him feel better about Hermione. When Ron traipsed back down, he set to helping Harry, neither saying a word. The bookshelf was reset, the books replaced. The blood scrubbed from the wall, still leaving behind a faint stain on the dark patterned wallpaper.

No one was in the room when Remus changed back. They respected his privacy at least. Sirius had cast a Silencing charm on the drawing room so Remus' cries wouldn't wake Hermione.

When Remus changed back, the first thing he noticed was that his whole body hurt. Quite usual when he didn't have wolfsbane. The second thing he noticed, however, sent a shiver up his spine. A dark, coppery taste flooded his senses, and there was something familiar there. Remus racked his memory and froze when he found it.

_Hermione._

Remus jumped to his feet, shouting at the pain that shot through his aching muscles. His right calf was bleeding from what looked like a dog bite. Remus ignored the pain and climbed the stairs in search of Harry, Ron, Sirius, and Hermione. He had to make sure they were alive.

Following his nose, Remus found himself outside Hermione's door. She was lying on her bed, shirt torn exposing her bra and shoulder. And there… the bite. _My bite._

"Shit!" Remus shouted, hitting the wall. His outburst woke Sirius who was asleep in the chair not two feet from Remus.

"Mate, shut up," Sirius grumbled, clearly exhausted and half-asleep. Remus glared at his friend, grabbed him by the sleeve, and hauled him out of the room.

"Sirius," Remus growled. Despite every inch of his body begging for rest, his mind was completely awake. "What the hell happened last night?"

Sirius was fully awake now, after being manhandled by his best friend. His face steeled over and his brows set.

"Moony, get over it. We both knew this was going to happen. You got over it before, so don't give me anymore shit this time. I'm too bloody tired after dealing with you and pup all night. Just get some rest, and be ready to explain to Hermione what's happening to her tomorrow."

Remus was shocked at Sirius. Of course, he knew he was right, but… Sure, Remus had dealt with this guilt before, but it had actually happened this time. He had not only hurt Hermione, but…

_She's going to hate me. I can't have her hate me. I think it will actually kill me. No, Harry and Ron are going to kill me. _

Remus nodded at Sirius before retreating, tail between his legs, to his room. He glanced back to see Sirius disappearing back into Hermione's room and closing the door.

* * *

**A/N: **Please read and review!

Much Love, V.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **First of all, I'm so sorry this took so long! I've moved, and things have been a little hectic. But hopefully now, I'll be able to update more regularly. I know this chapter is a little short, but I promise things will pick up soon. Just stick with me!

**To helikesitheymikey:** First, Hermione won't be dating two guys at the same time. But you'll have to see who she ends up with. Second, Hermione meant to say she forgave Remus. She was out of it at the time and didn't realize Sirius was there. She probably didn't even realize there was a person there.

**To guest:** Yes, Padfoot would have been able to stop Moony, especially since Sirius would have been much healthier than post-Azkaban. Yes, Padfoot was definitely a match for Moony, but that doesn't mean Moony couldn't have slipped away. Also, this was supposed to happen. Remus and Sirius both knew Hermione was going to be bitten. ("It had to happen, pup. I'm so, so sorry. If it could be any other way...")

* * *

**Chapter 5: Lyc-Anthropology **

**19 August 1997**

**12 Grimmauld Place**

Reconnaissance. That's what they were calling it. But honestly it was a chance to get out of the house so Hermione and Remus could talk. Sirius had taken Harry and Ron to an alley just a few streets away from the entrance to the Ministry of Magic. They were supposed to be spying on their targets. Supposed to be… but instead, for the majority of the time, they were all thinking of the two lycanthropes back at Grimmauld Place.

* * *

Hermione had woken up, now that it was late afternoon. Remus had pushed his guilt aside for her sake and helped her move downstairs. They were seated in the kitchen, as neither had been willing to sit in the drawing room. Neither had said anything; it was just understood. Plus this way they were closer to the tea.

Hermione was silent for a while, just watching Remus. She could practically feel her body changing as the lycan curse ripped through her blood. She felt stuck in skin that no longer belonged to her.

"Remus?" Every sound she made came out like a question. "It's done, right? I mean, it's finished? I'm a werewolf now?"

Remus barely looked up from the mug in his hands. He nodded slightly still avoiding Hermione's eyes. He couldn't bear to look into them knowing he would see a part of himself staring back.

"Remus? I- I- what do we do now?" Remus flinched a little at her use of "we." He looked at her now, finally taking in her full appearance.

Hermione had changed her clothes. She had transfigured one of Sirius' old t-shirts into a tank top so her shoulder wouldn't be too bothered. Both of her arms were covered in bruises and scratches. There was a lumpy bruise on the left side of her face that caused her to flinch whenever she made too big of a facial expression.

But the bite. It hurt Remus so much to look at it. The fact that he couldn't help the surging feeling of pride whenever he saw the throbbing pink half moons made him nauseous. He wanted to rip what was Moony out of his chest. He was making himself feel sick, disgusted, and dirty. He tried to shove Moony away, but the wolf was more persistent than ever.

_She's back._

_Who's back?_

_You know who, Remus._

_What are you playing at Moony? How could you do this? I thought we had a deal._

_Blah, blah, deals are meant to be broken. _

_Not this one._

_It had to happen. Think of the timing, this was it._

_I can't watch her face this._

_You won't have to…_

"Remus?" Hermione's soft voice pulled Remus from his inner turmoil.

"Sorry, er, what were you saying?" Hermione sighed deeply. She rose from her seat slowly and made her way over to Remus. Taking the seat beside him, she reached for his hand and held it in hers.

"Listen, I don't blame you. I know you didn't have wolfsbane. Honestly, all of this is my fault. I forgive you, Remus. And I know you won't believe me and you'll still beat yourself up about it, but I really do. I forgive you."

Eyes wet, Remus looked down at the table, ashamed of his behavior. Here he was sulking over what he'd done, when Hermione was being the strong one. It should be him taking her hand and comforting her. Not the other way around. He took a deep breath before speaking.

"There are three stages to the lycan disease. Each stage is longer and worse than the one before. You're in the first stage, right now. This is when the lycanthropy enters your bloodstream and essentially changes your DNA. It's a bit painful from what I remember. You should be aware of it moving through your body."

Hermione nodded. She was experiencing a throbbing tingling sensation in her arms and legs; it burned a little. It felt as if each pump of her heart was pushing the disease further and further into her. It didn't hurt too badly. In truth it was more uncomfortable than painful, but if it was only going to get worse from here, Hermione wasn't sure she was as ready as she thought.

"The second stage, in my opinion, is the worst, but that might be because I was so young at the time. Once your blood is 100% lycan, the disease starts to change your body and mind. Think of it as puberty part two, only with more anger.

All of your senses are going to be heightened. It's a bit of a shock and takes getting used to. I'll see if I can get you some sunglasses and earplugs; it'll help. You're muscles and metabolism will change as well. It's going to be hard for you to put on weight-"

Hermione scoffed, thinking back to her years at Hogwarts when she would listen to Lavender and Parvati complaining about their physical faults and wonder if there was something wrong with her as well. Remus seemed to notice her reaction.

"It's true. Call it a silver lining, but I've never had to feel guilty about the amount of chocolate I consume." Hermione smiled.

"Anyway, aside from the physical changes, you'll be a lot moodier. _Very_ moody. Any urge you feel will feel a thousand times stronger. If you're hungry, you'll feel like you haven't eaten in weeks. If you're tired, you'll feel as if you could sleep for years. And um, if you, um, see someone you find to be… well, that is to say, if you find someone attractive, well then, you're, um, going to feel less control over your actions."

Hermione blushed. She and Remus were close, of course, but romantic interest was one topic they never dared discuss. It was a silent agreement between the two that seemed to have existed well before their friendship.

"Will I have to deal with, um, heightened emotions forever?" Hermione bit her lip worriedly.

"Oh no! The worst of it is only lasts until about your second full moon. That's not to say you won't have to work to control your emotions ever, because you will. But it gets easier, and before you know it you'll only be conscious of it in the days before the full moon."

Hermione nodded and picked her tea back up. She didn't sip from it; she just held the cup close to her lips, letting what little steam was left to roll over her face. She looked up at Remus, who was studying her very carefully. She set the cup back down.

"And the third stage?"

"Officially - and mind you this is what is said in the official Ministry books on lycanthropy – officially, the third stage is the first moon. You experience your first transformation and then, boom, you're a werewolf. But if you ask me, the third stage is the rest of your life, living as a werewolf.

"I don't remember much about how I dealt with the changes after I was bitten, but I'll never forget my first full moon."

Remus stopped talking and Hermione didn't press him. She knew he would tell her in time. She didn't need to be scared now. She could wait.

"Remus, I- I'm not sure how I'm going to face them when they get home." Hermione blushed at the ridiculousness of her fear, but she couldn't deny it.

"Hermione." Remus' voice deepened all of a sudden, and Hermione could have sworn she heard a bit of a growl. "If I thought for a second that Ron, Harry, or Sirius would look at you or treat you any different… Honestly, I would have taken you somewhere else before you even woke up."

Remus' candor and intensity shocked Hermione. She wanted to laugh and tease Remus for being so wolfish and territorial, but really on the inside she was beaming with happiness. Remus being so protective made her feel safe, and that was really all she could ask for at the moment.

* * *

When Harry, Ron, and Sirius returned (after finally getting around to actually observing Ministry workers), they found Hermione in the library surrounded by old, dusty books and Remus in the kitchen making tea.

Hermione got up and let them hug her. Her shoulder was plenty sore and moving anything but her forearm was sure to cause pain.

"Okay, security questions."

"Really, Hermione? Can't you just trust it's us?"

"Oh, honestly, Ronald, it's a miracle you haven't been seriously harmed."

"Hmph, okay then, get on with it."

"Um okay, Harry, what was the spell I performed during Quidditch tryouts sixth year?" Harry chuckled.

"A confundus charm." Ron looked at the two with a puzzled expression.

"Okay, Ronald, what did I tell you the morning after the Black Lake challenge during the Triwizard Tournament?"

"You said, um, that it didn't matter that I was Harry's chosen person, because… oh! Because you didn't need a test to validate your friendship." Sirius barked out a laugh and mumbled something under his breath.

"Remus? Do you want to ask Sirius a question? I'm afraid I don't have as much material to work with." Sirius' face fell a bit but brightened back up when his friend entered the room.

"Alright Padfoot, what was my first guess of what your Animagus form was?"

"You thought I would be some sort of cat. Dumbest mistake you've ever made, my dear Moony." Sirius threw his arm around Remus and looked at the trio before him. "Yep, Moony here thought I'd be a regular old house cat. Remember why? Because I do! You said something like, Sirius is going to be a pussycat on account of his penchant for-"

"Okay, well before this turns into another round of Let's Remember the Glory Days, I'm going to turn in. I'm glad you all are back, safe and sound." Hermione smiled at the boys and turned out of the room. She could hear Harry and Ron questioning Remus about how she seemed. She smiled to herself. She was so thankful she was surrounded by such caring people.

"Hermione, wait."

Hermione turned just three stairs up the staircase. Sirius was looking up at her. He ran his hand through his dark locks before stepping closer.

"I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

"I'm okay, Sirius. I think- I think I'm going to be okay. Honestly, I don't know what I would do without you all here." Hermione looked down at her bare feet. She wondered briefly if she had any nail polish in her bag upstairs. She wiggled her toes.

"Hermione, if there's anything you need…" Sirius let the sentence hang. Hermione lifted her gaze to meet Sirius' eyes. They were filled with such passion Hermione was a bit taken aback. She couldn't quite place the emotion in his grey eyes.

"Thank you, Sirius, I really appreciate it."

"It's nothing at all, pup. I'd- we'd do anything for you."

* * *

Hermione stayed awake in bed long after she left the boys. She stared at the ceiling thinking over just how different life had become in just a few months. When she turned her thoughts to the war and the challenges that had yet to face, she realized her new "condition" was simply going to be a bump in the road.

She made a mental note of all she would try to accomplish over the next few days. _Polyjuice potion, plan for the ministry, research lycanthropy._ She repeated the list in her head until she drifted off to sleep.

_Polyjuice potion, plan for the ministry, research lycanthropy._

_Polyjuice potion, plan for the ministry, research lycanthropy._

_Polyjuice potion, plan for the ministry, research lycanthropy._

* * *

**A/N: **Hope you all enjoyed it! Please review! And thank you for reading!

Much love. -V.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: A bit of jumping around in this chapter. Please review! And thank you to all of you who have already reviewed. It means so much to me. Thank you.**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Sense and Sensitivity**

**20 August 1997**

**12 Grimmauld Place**

_Pain. So much pain._

_Great big eyes. Golden eyes on fire._

_Sharp teeth dripping with blood and saliva._

_Getting closer._

"SIRIUS!"

_So much fear._

Sirius burst through the door, soon followed by Remus. Crossing the room in two steps, Sirius reached out to still the thrashing sleeper. Hermione was violently tossing, her face etched with pain and anguish. Sirius looked back at Remus who stood horrified in the doorway.

"Silencing charm. Now!"

Remus reached for Hermione's wand, which was laying on the vanity. As he turned to cast the charm on the room, Sirius tried to wake Hermione.

"Hermione, hey, hey, pup, it's me. I'm here. I'm here."

Hermione stopped moving. Suddenly, she arched her back, threw her head back, and cried out Sirius' name fearfully. Her breathing was sharp and her muscles started to spasm. Sirius grabbed her and forced her to sit up, seating himself behind her for stability. He started to brush her hair away from her face. Hermione's cheeks were flushed and sweat had begun to rise on her hairline. Sirius continued to stroke her hair and whisper to her. And slowly Hermione's breathing began to slow.

"I'm here, pup. You're okay. You're okay. I'm here. I've got you, pup."

"Sirius?" She whispered now, still urgent but not as pleading. Her eyes were still closed.

"Yeah, I'm here, pup."

"Sirius, don't let Remus come in here." Remus' heart dropped where he stood in the corner. He and Sirius shared a glance. "Sirius, I don't want him to know I had a nightmare about Moony. It'll kill him. Please, don't let him come in."

Sirius looked at the witch in his arms and back at Remus. With a weak smile and a single nod, Remus slipped quietly from the room.

"All right, pup, I won't tell him. I promise. Can you open your eyes for me?"

Hermione opened her eyes and took in her position for the first time. She twisted to look at Sirius, flinching as her shoulder flared up in pain.

"Um, Sirius, why are you shirtless?"

"Huh, that's not usually a question I get in the middle of the night when a witch is screaming my name in bed." Hermione blushed, but couldn't help smiling at the marauder.

"Come on, pup. I need to take a look at your shoulder. See what damage you've done."

Sirius moved from behind her, pulling two pillows to take his place. Hermione silently pulled her hair to the side to keep out of the way. She looked away from Sirius, not sure she wanted to look at the bite. Sirius' fingers brushed over the sensitive skin surrounding the bite, causing Hermione to shiver and close her eyes. She heard Sirius move away and then back again, followed by whisperings.

Sirius set Hermione's wand on the bedside table as some healing supplies drifted into the room. After a moment, Hermione grimaced at the sting of alcohol on her wound.

"How bad i- Hold on." She sniffed. "Is that firewhisky?"

"Ogden's finest." Sirius poured some more onto the rag in his hand before taking a swig from the bottle. Hermione's head snapped around and she stared at Sirius.

"And you're using that on me!?"

"You've only reopened the wound, pup. Nothing life threatening. Thought I'd save the good stuff for more dire emergencies, no offense. Honest though, firewhisky works just as well on wounds, if not better!"

"Right, of course, and where did you hear that one from?"

"Oh, just some bird back in the 70's." Hermione laughed before sucking air back through her teeth when Sirius reapplied the cloth. The laughter slowly died from her eyes and the two were silent for a bit while Sirius finished fixing up Hermione's shoulder.

"I wasn't too loud, was I?"

"Nah, I mean you woke me up, but I suppose that's because you were screaming my name. And Remus is still resting from the moon, so when he's out, he's out."

"And Harry and Ron?"

"Well, they're both on the floor above, so I doubt they heard anything."

"Good. The last thing I want to do is worry them."

Sirius smiled down at the witch and finished re-bandaging before making his way to the door. He took another drink from the bottle of firewisky before setting is down on the vanity. He turned to face Hermione again.

"Listen, pup, you need to accept the fact that Harry, Ron, Remus, and I… we're all going to worry about you. There's nothing you can do about it. So maybe it's time you let someone care for you."

Sirius opened the door and paused, again turning back to the witch.

"Remember, pup, if there's anything you need…" He looked at the witch for a while as if studying her face and the way her hair was so wild from sleep. For the third time, Sirius started to leave.

"Sirius… would you stay? At least for a while? I just- I don't know if I'll have another nightmare and…"

"Of course." Sirius moved to the armchair beside Hermione's bedside table and pulled it closer to her. He sat himself down, wiggling a bit to get comfortable.

"You don't, um, you don't have to sit in the chair," Hermione started, unsure of herself. "The bed is plenty big enough. I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"Don't worry about me, pup. Just being a gentleman."

Hermione smiled, readjusted her position, and closed her eyes. She relished in the feeling of safety that seemed to roll off Sirius. She moved the arm closest to Sirius out toward him, holding her hand palm up. After a moment, a warm, worn hand filled hers, and she drifted back to sleep.

* * *

Sirius was long gone by the time Hermione woke up. Her shoulder was feeling a bit better, but her head was killing her. Something was causing a horrible throbbing.

Groaning, she moved to the bathroom. Hermione just stood there, looking at herself in the mirror. She unwrapped her shoulder and examined the bite. It appeared to have reclosed overnight, and Hermione decided that as long as she didn't do anything strenuous to reopen the wound, it would heal quickly.

She moved this way and that way, trying to get different angles of view on the bite. Moony's jaw had completely encompassed her shoulder. Two half moons formed sadistic smiles reaching from her collarbone to the edge of her shoulder and mirrored on her back. She remembered from previous research on werewolves that these scars would never heal.

"Oh Hermione, I thought I heard someone up. What are you doing in the dark?" The voice, Ron's voice, spoke and then the bathroom lights switched on.

Two things happened within milliseconds of each other.

First, the bathroom lights flashed on and flooded Hermione's senses. The new lycanthrope was blinded by what she usually considered to be weak lighting. Her retinas burned and the throbbing in her head increased.

Second, she lashed out. Hermione whipped around in search of the light switch, but instead found Ron's body in the way. With a strength she didn't know she had, Hermione shoved Ron into the floor length mirror on the wall. The mirror broke in a few places upon the impact and a few pieces sliced into Ron's cheek.

Ron stepped back in horror, as footsteps sounded from the hall, sounding like thunder to Hermione. She found the light switch and finally the lights were off. As Hermione began to regain her vision, she saw a blurry body had joined Ron's.

"Hermione?" It was Harry. Hermione knew even before he spoke, but she wasn't sure how.

Suddenly, time slowed for her. She saw Ron and Harry staring at her with fear in their eyes. She could hear their heart beats racing. She could _smell_ their fear. And she could smell blood.

Hermione's eyes snapped to Ron's cheek.

"Ron, I-" She reached out a hand to touch him but stopped herself. "I'm so sorry, Ron. I didn't mean, I didn't mean to hurt you."

Ron reached up to wipe the blood away but only ended up smearing it across his cheek even more.

"I know, Hermione. I know."

"Will one of you two get Remus?" She was trying to sound in control, but her voice was growing shakier by the minute. She was going to start crying soon. She looked down at the carpet to avoid the eyes of her two best friends. Then, when she couldn't hold the tears in anymore, Hermione ran to her room.

* * *

Hermione sat on her bed, crying. After the nightmare and attacking Ron, Hermione was sure she was losing it. She desperately wished she could turn back time to before this werewolf madness started.

The throbbing in her head wouldn't stop so Hermione focused on her breathing to calm herself down. When she started to relax, she realized that her head wasn't throbbing. It was all the noises she could hear. She could hear Remus in his room down the hall, opening and closing drawers. She could hear Sirius in the kitchen, cursing at the lack of variety in breakfast cereal. And she could hear Harry and Ron talking just outside Remus' door.

"Harry, what are we going to do?"

"Remus is going to talk to her, help her. He's been through this before. Hopefully, he's got some ideas."

"But Harry, we're supposed to get the locket this weekend."

"We'll just have to push that back. Hermione is our priority right now. The locket can wait. We know where it is, and it's now going anywhere… at least for a while."

"Harry, I thought- I just thought she was going to be like Remus, a little moody at times, but just the same old Hermione. I- I didn't recognize her back there."

"She's scared, Ron. Didn't you hear Remus a second ago. He said all her senses are the most sensitive they will ever be right now. We just have to do what we always do. Be strong and lean on each other."

* * *

**27 August 1997**

**12 Grimmauld Place**

For the next week, the entire house revolved around Hermione, which was just as weird for her as it was for everyone else. Remus was with her constantly from the moment she woke up to the moment she said goodnight and headed to bed. He had transfigured her a pair of sunglasses and found a pair of Walburga's old earmuffs. Sirius said he could think of nothing better than a muggleborn werewolf wearing his mother's old accessories.

Harry and Ron were more productive than ever before. Hermione often found herself wishing they had shown as much focus during their time at Hogwarts. The boys successfully finished brewing the polyjuice potion and had detailed the plans of the Ministry infiltration, which they all decided would occur in five days time.

Hermione quickly fell into a rather strange routine.

She would wake up in the morning to Remus cooking breakfast. Sirius had gone out to get more food for the household (without Hermione's knowledge, otherwise she would have protested). She was on a strict high-protein diet, which took some getting used to, as Hermione had previously preferred salads to steaks. But it seemed her taste buds now preferred red meat.

After breakfast, Hermione and Remus took to the library, pouring over all the information the Black library provided on the topic of werewolves. The two would read in silence before either Hermione asked a question or Remus came across information he thought worthy of sharing. Then the two would talk for hours.

Being with Remus was easiest for Hermione as he rarely caused her emotions to get away from her. But the witch was insistent on getting herself under control. So after lunch and for the rest of the day, Hermione would do just that.

She devised a series of tests to help her control her new "abilities." She would spend as much time as she could on each sense, before it became too much for her and she would switch. Then she would test her emotions. Ron had remembered finding a miniature pensieve when the trio had stayed at Grimmauld Place before their fifth year. So Hermione spent her afternoons deep within her memories. In her memories, she was a ghostly bystander and her fits of extreme sadness and anger were safely contained.

In the evenings, Hermione was usually too exhausted to be very useful. She would sit in the kitchen and let the boys rotate through. Sometimes she would talk to whoever sat across from her. Sometimes she would read. Sometimes she would sit in silence.

This evening, Hermione sat in the kitchen with a fresh cup of tea while Harry and Ron chatted about quidditch. Hermione was focusing on tuning them out, calling it her last training exercise of the day. But as the two voices of her best friends faded out, two more faded in.

"Remus, it's got to be soon."

"I know, but-"

"No, Remus. It's soon. It has to be."

"Yes, but we have-"

"Damn it, Moony! The time is now!"

"Sit down, Padfoot!

"I know it's time, but we have to be delicate about this. It's more complicated than you think. I have to make sure everything is okay."

"Let me help! I want to help!"

"Padfoot, sit down! Listen, you are helping. Just keep comforting her at night at let me take care of the rest."

Hermione lost focus and the voices of Ron and Harry jumped back in.

_So Remus knows._ Hermione was unsure of how to feel. Should she feel angry with Sirius for telling Remus? Happy because Remus didn't seem too upset? _Angry_ because Remus didn't seem too upset? Her emotions were building and she needed to calm down as quickly as possible. She took a big sip of her tea and two deep breaths.

Hermione looked up from her mug and saw Ron and Harry staring at her. Their eyes were full of emotion and it took Hermione a minute to see what it was. Not pity, not fear, not annoyance. But compassion. And suddenly, the buildup of emotion just slipped from her shoulders. Hermione smiled.

"It's been a long day, boys. I'm going to bed." She left the kitchen and headed to her room.

After brushing her teeth and changing, Hermione climbed into bed, but she didn't lay down. She sat up facing the door and waited. And sure enough fifteen minutes later, Sirius knocked on the door.

He had become part of her routine in a strange way. After Hermione left the group in the kitchen, she would retire to bed. Sirius would wait a while before coming to her room, sometimes five minutes, sometimes not until after she had fallen asleep. And he would be there when she woke up screaming his name. And he would be there to offer comforting words and to brush her hair from her face. And he always stayed in the chair beside the bed, never farther away and never closer. And then he would be gone before she rose for the day.

She hadn't had a nightmare in two days, but she knew he would still come. Just in case.

"Come in."

Sirius pushed open the door and made his way to what Hermione now considered to be _his_ chair.

"Sirius, we need to talk."

"About what, pup?"

"I heard you and Remus talking earlier."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Well, Hermione you have to understand-"

"No, I do, Sirius."

"You do?"

"Yes, I understand why you told Remus, and you're right. He has a right to know I've been having nightmares about that night. But I wish you had told me first."

"Wait… oh, Oh! Yes, no, I mean, I'm sorry I didn't tell you first."

"Thank you."

The two sat in silence for a few minutes.

"Sirius?"

"Yes, pup?"

"I'm nervous."

"About what?"

"I feel like I'm getting my senses under control, but… I almost feel as if I'm slipping on my emotions. Remus mentioned that he went through waves of intensified emotions, but I figured with him helping me I should be better."

Sirius smiled at the witch.

"If there was a NEWT for lycanthropy, I bet you would get Outstanding. Don't stress, Hermione. You are doing so, so well. From what Remus has told me of his childhood, I think you can expect a few bumps in the road in the days to come. But I know it's nothing you can't handle. Now get some sleep, okay?"

"Alright, Sirius." Hermione turned onto her back and closed her eyes.

"And Hermione?"

"I know. If there's anything I need…"

Hermione soon fell asleep with a smiling Marauder in the chair nearby.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **It's a short chapter, but an important one. Sorry it's so short.

* * *

**Chapter 7: Awkward Interactions of the Werewolf Variety**

**28 August 1997**

**12 Grimmauld Place**

When Hermione woke up she noticed two things. First, her head wasn't throbbing. For the first time in days, her mind wasn't overwhelmed by sounds and smells. Second, something close by smelled _really_ good.

It smelled like the woods just after rain. It smelled like old books bound in leather. It smelled like some kind of dark spice that Hermione couldn't place. It smelled like security and safety.

Hermione climbed out of bed and followed her nose. She exited her room and slowly started padding down the hallway. She stopped just outside of Remus' room. Without realizing just where she was and what she was doing, Hermione pushed open the door and entered the room.

Suddenly the smell was everywhere. It covered her like a blanket. Hermione closed her eyes and breathed deeply.

"Hermione?" Remus had just appeared from behind the door to his closet, shocked to see Hermione in his room. Concern was etched across his face.

When Hermione opened her eyes, a fiery gold had taken over her normally brown eyes. Remus stepped back. This was the first time Hermione's inner wolf had shown itself. All her previous sparks of anger had only hinted at the beast within. After composing himself, Remus stepped forward in curiosity.

"Hermione? What are you doing?"

She was standing perfectly still, but her eyes were grazing over Remus like a lioness on the hunt. Her body position changed to one more confident, in control. And slowly she stepped toward Remus, her shoulders rolling and hips swaying. Remus froze.

"Um, Hermione?"

She reached Remus, the top of her head coming up to the middle of his chest. She stepped even closer and looked up into his eyes. And still the fiery gold burned. Without a word, Hermione stroked one hand up and down Remus' left arm. She cocked her head to the side before running both hands up his chest. She continued her study of his upper torso before unbuttoning the top button on Remus' shirt. Remus looked down at the witch and finally snapped to attention. He grabbed Hermione's hands and pushed her away gently.

"Hermione, stop," Remus' voice was deeper and rougher than usual. His tone was strong and commanding. "Hermione, you need to fight her for control. Control yourself."

Like a well-trained soldier following orders, Hermione immediately pulled away from Remus. The gold disappeared from her eyes as they widened in horror. She looked down at her hands before looking at Remus.

"Oh my- Oh, Remus, I'm so sorry! I have no idea what came over me." A deep blush settled on her cheeks as she stammered through a pseudo-explanation. "I just woke up to some wonderful smell and then I followed it and then…"

"It's okay, Hermione. You don't need to be embarrassed. Remember, I've been through this all myself."

"How- How did you get me to stop?"

"I'm your _creator_," Remus practically spit the word. "Right now, you – as a werewolf - you're weak and impressionable. As your creator, I have a sort of command over you."

"Really? So anything you tell me to do I'll do?" Hermione's intellectual side was quickly making her recover from her embarrassment.

"No! I mean, it's not like that. Okay, think of it this way. Whenever your wolf takes over your mind, say just a moment ago or during the full moon, Moony can command her to stop. It won't always work. You'll learn to fight me just like everything else, but for now, it's pretty effective."

"So, just a second ago… that was Moony?"

"Yes."

"I didn't know you could do that, let him out like that."

"It's not easy. I've been a werewolf practically all my life and only recently have I been able to do that. It takes a lot of control to keep Moony on a short leash. It's easier to just shut him out."

"Wow." Hermione stared at Remus in awe. "Oh, um, I guess I should be going. Um, thanks for stopping me, Remus."

"Of course."

"Um, can we maybe try not mention this to everyone else?"

"Of course, Hermione."

Hermione smiled and started to walk back to her room. As she sighed and breathed back in, she remembered something and stopped.

"Oh, Remus, I have another question… um, why do you smell so good to me? I mean, it's not like a normal smell. You kind of smell like feelings to me, if that makes sense. Like safety."

Remus' heart leapt at Hermione's words, but he fought to appear unfazed.

"It's because we're connected, we're the same lineage. Since I'm technically your alpha, my smell should reflect that. Comfortable, safe, familiar. To me, your smell makes me feel protective." Remus blushed slightly at his words, but Hermione smiled softly before leaving the room in silence.

When she got back to her room, Hermione climbed back into bed. She hid her face in the pillows and groaned. _How embarrassing._ Hermione rolled onto her back and tried to push the memory of her ambushing Remus out of her mind.

_Oh Merlin! What was I thinking? I wasn't that's what. But why? Oh what did Remus say?_ _If I find someone attractive, I'm going to feel less control over my actions. Um, do I find Remus attractive?_

A small voice in the back of her head answered. _Yes._

_Oh bollocks. Of course, I find him attractive. He's smart, kind, and doesn't treat me like a child. But I don't have a __crush__ on him. I mean, yes, third year, but that was silly. A schoolgirl's crush. Not now! _

_Oh no. If that level of attraction elicits that kind of reaction… That's it; I'm staying in my room forever._

* * *

When Hermione didn't come down for breakfast, Harry and Ron started to worry. Sirius seemed to show a bit of concern, but Remus kept brushing off their comments.

"Remus, come on mate. What's going on with Hermione?"

"Fine. There was a bit of an incident this morning and I'm sure Hermione is embarrassed over it. I suggest we respect her privacy and let her come down when she's ready."

"What kind of incident?" Ron asked.

"Um, oh, just a… you know, an incident."

Harry and Ron shared a look. Then, Harry looked at Sirius questioningly. Sirius shook his head and turned to his best friend.

"Come on, Moony, they're not going to leave you alone until you tell them."

"I can't."

"Moony."

"Padfoot."

"It can't be that bad."

Remus didn't answer, but he glared at Sirius. Sirius cocked his head to the side and then proceeded to burst out laughing.

"Don't tell me. Oh Merlin, poor pup." Each sentence was broken up by a small fit of laughter. "Oh Merlin, she's probably upstairs dying of embarrassment."

"Can someone please explain what is going on?" Harry finally spoke up, exasperated at the lack of communication. Remus sighed.

"Well the good news is that Hermione is no longer overwhelmed by her heightened senses, so she can now focus on specific sounds or smells. Um, the bad news is that, um, she can't quite control her emotions and, um, reactions to certain, um, things."

"What?" Harry and Ron asked at the same time, both clearly confused.

"Basically, Hermione is like a boy-crazy tart." Remus hit Sirius over the back of his head.

"What?" The Marauder asked as he rubbed his head. "And I'm guessing she came onto you, didn't she?"

Remus glared at Sirius, as Harry and Ron tried to process this new information.

"I'm sorry, what?" Ron had a truly incredulous look plastered on his face. "What?"

"Okay, basically the wolf within heightens all kinds of senses and emotions and what not," Remus began, getting into lecture-mode. "Hermione has been experiencing all of that. What also occurs is the increase in instinct. While you all may see a pretty girl and have little inclination to do anything, a werewolf has to fight his instincts so as not to act inappropriately. Hermione doesn't have control yet, and she hasn't experienced her first full moon, so her inner wolf is essentially roaming free right now."

"But why did she come onto _you_?" Ron probably didn't mean to sound so insulting, but Harry nudged him all the same. Ron mumbled a slight apology.

"Basically Hermione is going to have a hard time controlling herself around anyone she finds remotely attractive looking. It has nothing to do with her actual feelings."

"So, that's why she's still upstairs."

"Exactly, Harry. I think she's afraid of what she would do if she came down here and sat in a room with all of us."

The room fell silent.

* * *

An hour and a half later, Harry called to Hermione from the bottom of the stairs.

"Hermione? You've got to be hungry. Can I bring you anything?" A heavy pause followed.

"Okay. Just give me a minute!"

Harry gathered some food together on a plate and grabbed a mug of tea. He waited at the bottom of the stairs for Hermione to invite him up.

"Okay, you can come up!"

Taking the stairs slowly and eyeing the mug of tea so none spilled out of the cup, Harry finally reached Hermione's door. He pushed the door open with his foot and almost burst out laughing at the sight that was waiting for him.

Hermione had on gloves covering her hands and a sleep mask covering her eyes. She had transfigured something into a nose plug and was sitting quietly on the edge of her bed.

"Um, Hermione, what are you doing?"

"I know Remus told you all what happened. Werewolf hearing, remember? I'm just taking precautions. You know I think you're handsome, Harry. And you know I see you like a brother, but I'm not taking chances."

Harry laughed, before moving to sit beside her. He set the mug and plate down on the bedside table.

"You know you look ridiculous, right?"

"Oh, haha, very funny, Harry. Go on, laugh at the silly werewolf." Hermione huffed before laughing herself. The two laughed heartily before their laughter fell into giggles, which fell into silence.

"Harry?"

"Uh huh."

"This isn't working." Harry stood up suddenly.

"The face mask?"

"Oh, no no! No, that's working. No, I meant this. Me, being here, dealing with this."

"Oh."

"I think you and Ron should take Sirius with you to the Ministry."

"But Hermione-"

"Think about it, Harry. I'm a risk right now. I'm out of control. One second, I'm me, Hermione, but the next I could be a raging werewolf or worse an exaggerated version of Lavender Brown." Harry chuckled.

"It's not funny, Harry! There's so much at stake. If I went, I could cost us the necklace, or worse. I'm not going to do that to you."

"Okay, Hermione, I'll talk to Ron and Sirius."

"Thank you, Harry."

Hermione waited until she heard Harry's footsteps sounding from the kitchen before she removed the nose plug and eye mask. As she ate the food Harry had brought, she thought about the conversation she needed to have with Remus. She needed to be away from Harry and Ron. The search for the horcruxes was too important to be jeopardized by her mood swings. She needed Remus to take her away.

* * *

**A/N: **We're getting much closer to Hermione going back in time, I promise! It's just around the corner! Please review and as always, thank you for reading.

Much love. -V.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **:) Hope you all like this one!

* * *

**Chapter 8: Change of Plans**

**28 August 1997**

**12 Grimmauld Place**

The rest of the day passed without another embarrassing incident. Harry had discussed Hermione's plan with Sirius and Ron, and after dealing with the expected resistance, they all agreed that Sirius would take Hermione's place at the Ministry. Hermione, still on edge after her humiliating morning, kept the nose plug on, but she did remove the sleeping mask after having Remus promise to restrain her if need be.

After a hurried dinner on Hermione's part, she guided Remus to the library, making absolutely sure she was touching him in any way. The older werewolf seemed nervous, but he didn't fail to notice that Hermione seemed even more on edge. Remus took a seat, making sure not to sit in the armchair that Hermione had grown attached to.

"Hermione, you look like you're about to burst. What's going on?" Hermione sighed and dropped into her chair only to jump back up again and start pacing.

"I thought I could handle this, Remus. I thought this was going to be like everything else. It would be hard, yes. But I would work harder and then I would succeed. Like always. But no! I can't do this!

"And every night, every single night, I fall asleep frustrated at myself for being so focused on _my_ problems when there's a war going on just outside these walls. People are out there dying! And I'm stuck in here being a burden and a distraction!"

"Hermione, you're not a burden!" Remus stood up but sat back down after Hermione whipped around to glare at him.

"But I am, Remus. All of you are so concerned about me that nobody can see it. We need to be out there tracking down the rest of the horcruxes, but we can't do that when I can't control myself. Something has got to give."

"What are you saying?" Hermione sighed and stopped pacing. She walked to stand in front of Remus and looked down at her hands. She seemed to grow incredibly shy in just seconds. Her voice lost the conviction and power it had held moments earlier.

"What I'm saying is that I'm the changeable factor here. And if- if you're willing, I'd like to ask you to- to, well, um. I'd like to ask you to take me away from Grimmauld Place. At least for the next two months." Remus opened his mouth to speak, but Hermione kept talking.

"You said my heightened senses and emotions wouldn't be so bad after my second full moon. But in the meantime, I need to get in control, and well, Moony helps me. I would go alone, but…" Hermione stopped talking but didn't look up from her hands. She was too afraid to look at Remus. From her position she saw him stand up and saw his hands move from his sides to hold her arms.

Hermione felt her heart start to beat faster at Remus' touch. She stood perfectly still, focusing on not giving into her werewolf instincts, which were giving her mixed signals. Part of her, it seemed, was enraptured by Remus' touch and wanted more, but another part of her wanted to be obedient and wait for his signal. With a deep breath, Hermione focused as hard as she could on the part of her that was seeing Remus as her alpha, her command.

"Hermione, you don't have to be nervous. I did this to you. I'm forever indebted to you. I will do anything you ask of me. Of course, I'll take you away."

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and fell into Remus, wrapping her arms around him. Returning the hug, Remus rested his chin on the top of Hermione's head.

"What are you going to tell the boys?"

Hermione pulled back from the hug and sat at the edge of the coffee table. Remus sat back in his chair.

"Well, that's the other thing. I want to go tomorrow, and I want to tell them just before we leave. I love Harry and Ron, but sometimes they can't see the big picture. They're going to try to stop me, but I can't let them win. If we have everything prepared to leave, they won't be able to fight as much."

"And where were you expecting I take you?"

"I'm not the brightest witch of my age for nothing, Remus. I know you have a house out who knows where. You're very private about your life, but you do slip up sometimes. I'll bet no one but Sirius knows exactly where you live." Remus looked at Hermione with shining eyes.

"You know you're intimidating, right?" Hermione blinked at Remus.

"What?"

"You're really quite incredibly clever and it's a bit intimidating at times."

"Oh." Hermione fell silent.

"Okay. Pack up what you need tonight and we'll leave after breakfast tomorrow." Remus got up and headed out of the room, leaving Hermione behind to wonder how that conversation had worked out so well.

* * *

It didn't take long for Remus to pack up his belongings. As a personal rule, whenever he was somewhere other than his house he always lived straight out of his suitcase. And it wasn't like he had much clutter anyways. With an ear trained toward Hermione's room to make sure she was busy packing, Remus walked toward Sirius' room.

After a couple knocks, a freshly showered Sirius answered the door. Remus laughed, seeing the red and gold towel wrapped around his waist. Sirius looked down and chuckled.

"Yeah, found it when I was digging around this room. Thought it was gone for good."

"I swear I'll never forget that day."

"Yeah, neither will I." Sirius absentmindedly rubbed his shoulder where a faint scar was visible through his tattoos. "So anyway, what's up, Moony?"

"It's tomorrow."

"What's tomorrow?"

"_It_. Is. Tomorrow." Realization dawned on Sirius' face.

"Shit, it's tomorrow? How can you be sure?"

"After dinner, Hermione asked me to take her away for the next two months so she can regain control over herself."

"Shit."

"Yeah, exactly, only I'm thinking she doesn't exactly make it to my house-"

"She makes it to Hogwarts."

"In 1977."

"Shit, it's tomorrow."

"I know." Remus walked past Sirius and sat on his bed, hanging his head and running his fingers through his hair.

"Do you have it?" Remus picked his head up.

"What? Of course I have it. Haven't spent a moment away from it since she left."

"The boys are going to lose it."

"No, Sirius, they can't know. They really can't know. You can't tell them."

Sirius nodded, holding his hands up in front of his body in defense. He started to pace the room.

"I need to talk to her." Remus jumped up.

"Are you crazy?" Sirius stood face to face with Remus.

"I'm not going to tell her, relax. I just- I need to talk to her. She needs to know a few things before she goes and…"

Remus sighed before stepping backwards a step. He was silent for a moment before nodding.

"Fine, you can talk to her. But you need to put on some clothes first. She doesn't need to see all of that." Remus threw up a hand in gesture to Sirius' half-naked state. Sirius puffed out his chest and flexed his muscles. Remus shook his head and left Sirius' room, mumbling something about peacocking under his breath.

* * *

"Hermione?" A voice called from outside her door.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, pup." Hermione's eyes widened as she caught Sirius' scent. _Leather. Woods. Some kind of berry and something else…_

"Um, give me a second!" Hermione grabbed her nose plug and eye mask and put both on. "Okay, you can come in."

Sirius opened the door tentatively. He chuckled upon seeing Hermione sitting with perfect posture at the edge of her bed.

"I like the new accessories, pup. They really bring out your eyes."

"Oh, haha, very funny, Sirius. I'm doing this for your own good. Well, mine too." Hermione felt herself blush and wished at that moment that Sirius was the one with an eye mask. Sirius, on the other hand, smiled openly at the witch, knowing she couldn't see him.

"Listen, pup, I talked to Remus," Sirius started. Hermione opened her mouth to interrupt. "Ah, ah, ah, don't interrupt. As I was saying, I talked to Remus. And well… you gotta do what you gotta do, pup. I'm with you."

"You are?"

"As long as you come straight back to us when you're done."

"I promise, Sirius! I feel so bad about leaving, but honestly, it's for the best. And then I'll come back and I'll be good as new, ready to go."

"That's what I like to hear." The two sat in a comfortable silence for a bit. It seemed both had something to say, but neither could verbalize it.

"Okay, pup, before you go, I just wanted you to have a few things."

"Sirius, you know this isn't like that. You don't have to get me anything, honestly."

"No, no, nothing like that. I just wanted to tell you a few things. I'm going to tell you a couple Marauder trade secrets- only known by Marauders, no one else." Hermione sat up straighter, ever the eager listener.

"Three, nine, seventy-seven, eight o'clock at the stairway to heaven."

"What?"

"Three, nine, seventy-seven, eight o'clock at the stairway to heaven."

"Am I supposed to know what that means, Sirius?"

"Think of it as a puzzle to figure out when you're gone."

"Okay…"

"Don't worry, pup, I have total faith it'll come to you. Now, next one. We lost the Map two months into seventh year because I let Filch catch me as a distraction. You'll have to wait for later to hear the story behind that."

"Sirius-"

"Just let a man have his strange farewell, okay pup?" Hermione nodded and smiled a bit. "Okay finally, the Marauders were my family back then. The moment I left Grimmauld Place for what I thought was forever, I denounced every Black as a family member, with a couple exceptions. The Marauders became my family, and to my family I was blindly loyal."

Hermione grew a bit solemn as Sirius finished talking. She couldn't quite understand why he was telling her this, but her heart swelled a bit at the thought that Sirius trusted her and cared for her enough to share part of himself with her.

She felt the mattress rise up where Sirius' body had been. Focusing on the sounds in the room, Hermione tried to place Sirius. She gasped softly as she followed his heartbeat to just in front of her. She stood slowly and shut her eyes as she felt his fingers remove the eye mask.

"Open your eyes, pup." His voice was a little bit pleading. Hermione shook her head. He whispered this time. "Come on, pup. Just for a second."

So she did. Hermione opened her eyes for a total of three seconds. And for those three seconds, Hermione held onto her control as hard as she could. She pictured a fraying rope in her mind, and as each second ticked by, no matter how hard she focused, the rope frayed even more.

But for those three seconds, Sirius was staring deep into her eyes. He watched sparks of gold bloom from behind her pupil and spread like dust to the edges of her eyes. He took them in for a second before letting out the breath he was holding. And then they were shut again.

"Remember, pup, you promised," Sirius' tone was doing that uniquely Sirius thing. Somehow he managed to sound light and joking while at the same time very grave and stern. "You promised you would come back when you're done. Don't forget."

"I won't forget, Sirius."

"Good. And pup, if there's anything you need…"

Sirius put a hand to Hermione's cheek and stroked his thumb over her closed eyelid. And then he turned and left her room. With the click of her door shutting, Hermione's eyes shot open. They had returned to their normal coloring. Hermione sat there at the edge of her bed for a couple minutes before getting up.

After putting the final items in her beaded bag and setting aside the items she was leaving behind for Harry and Ron in a neat stack, Hermione quickly jotted down the information Sirius had shared with her. _Maybe Remus knows more about this. Sirius did say it was a puzzle of sorts. I'll have to remember to ask Remus tomorrow._

Hermione looked over her carefully scripted lines.

_3, 9, 77. 8:00 at the stairway to heaven._

_Marauder's Map lost two months into final year._

_Maruaders are Sirius' family._

She carefully folding the paper and tucked it away in her bag before climbing into bed and falling asleep. Despite being incredibly nervous about facing Ron and Harry tomorrow, Hermione slept deeply and dreamlessly.

* * *

**29 August 1997**

**12 Grimmauld Place**

"What do you mean you're leaving? You're joking!"

"I'm sorry, but I'm not."

"Hermione, you can't just leave us. We'll never survive without you!"

"Stop shouting, Ronald. I've already explained to you why I have to leave."

"Ron's right, Hermione. We're not going to last a day without you."

"You have to, Harry. Listen, the sooner I'm in control, the sooner I'll be back here. It's simple; it's decided. I'm leaving."

"But Hermione-"

"No!" Hermione had shouted rather loudly and the boys instantly quieted. Despite the fact she was wearing a light purple eye mask, Hermione still managed to scare the boys into silence.

"We've been arguing over this for twenty minutes already. Now listen to me. I'll be with Remus and I'll be safe. And you boys have Sirius and Grimmauld Place. It's just two months. Not stop being idiots and say goodbye like proper friends."

Her voice broke at the end of her little speech and both of the boys noticed. Suddenly it occurred to each of them that Hermione wasn't running away from them, but in fact she was doing something for their benefit, once again. Harry and Ron enveloped Hermione in a hug. When they finally pulled back, Remus was at the door waiting for Hermione. Sirius had taken a lie-in that morning, and Hermione hated to admit that despite their goodbye the night before, she was a bit disappointed.

"Be safe. Don't wander off. Don't do anything stupid."

"Same to you."

Hermione threw her arms around the boys again.

"I love you both."

"We love you, Hermione."

She stepped back and turned to Remus. He opened the door and led her out to the landing. The landing itself was still protected by the wards on 12 Grimmauld Place, so the pair were unseen by anyone who would look in their direction.

"Are you ready, Hermione?" Remus looked down at Hermione who was still wearing the nose plug and eye mask. "As soon as we get there you can take those off. It'll be okay, I promise."

"I'm ready, Remus." She held out her hand for him to take so they could side-along apparate.

"Oh, we won't be side-along apparating. I have a portkey." Hermione felt Remus press part of something into her hand. Before she could ask what it was, it started to vibrate against her skin. She could feel the familiar pull of instantaneous travel begin to tug at her insides.

"Hermione, please don't hate me."

* * *

For a split second, she thought she misheard Remus, but then she was spinning and landing all at once. When Hermione felt like she was on solid ground, she ripped off the eye mask and nose plug.

Eyes wide, she jumped up.

"What the-"

* * *

**A/N: Ta da! I feel like this might be my longest chapter yet. But get ready for the real fun to start next! Please review. Each one is so much appreciated. You have no idea. Thank you for reading!**

**Much love. -V.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **Ugh, I've been waiting to do this chapter since I started this story! I hope you all like it. Let me know!

* * *

**Chapter 9: In Which Hermione Faints (A lot)**

_For a split second, she thought she misheard Remus, but then she was spinning and landing all at once. When Hermione felt like she was on solid ground, she ripped off the eye mask and nose plug._

_Eyes wide, she jumped up._

_"What the-"_

Hermione couldn't believe her eyes. She was standing in front of Hogwarts. Hogwarts. Remus had sent her to Hogwarts. _Maybe this is part of his plan. Maybe he's going to meet me here and then we're going to go to his house. Yes, of course, this was just a stop along the way for precaution. He'll be here any second. He hasn't abandoned me._

Somewhat satisfied with her reasoning, Hermione stepped closer to the Forbidden Forest, just inside the line of trees, so she could see if someone approached. Seconds ticked by, then minutes, and finally when the sun had set, Hermione's nerves became too much. _How is the sun setting already? We left barely after 10 o'clock. Surely, I haven't been here that long._

"Remus, where are you?" She looked around as if the surrounding trees and brush were to give her an indication of what was going on. _Okay, I'll wait a little longer and if Remus doesn't show in five minutes I'll go back to Grimmauld Place._

"Tempus." Hermione whispered the charm and watched as little gold numbers and letters sprung from her wand.

_20:31:07_

_1 September 1977_

Hermione waved away the shining numbers and then suddenly stared at her hand. She cast the tempus charm three more times, each time wishing more and more that it was wrong.

1977\. Not 1997, but 1977. Twenty years back. She glanced back at Hogwarts. Wrong place. Wrong time. All wrong. 1977. And with that, Hermione promptly fainted.

* * *

**1 September 1977**

**Just Outside the Forbidden Forest **

She was lying in a bit of a rut just inside the forest. The grass had grown long and was slightly covering her body. The younger boy held his breath as his companion approached the girl. He'd seen enough in his life already to assume she was dead. He winced as the older boy moved away some of the grass. The older boy pulled hair from her face and slowly tucked it behind her ear, glancing back at the grey-eyed boy as if waiting for permission to touch her.

The younger boy waited in silence, confused at what his companion was thinking. He bent down and gently picked her up, her body draped lifelessly across his arms. He walked past the younger boy out of the forest, eyes lowered. Setting the girl on the ground, he stepped back to look at her. Her head rolled to the side and her hair fell in front of her face.

At that moment, the grey-eyed boy thought she was definitely dead. As his classmate checked for a pulse, he took a step back, wondering what the hell he was going to do with a dead body. He thought the whole situation could only lead to shit.

"Hey," the older boy said, practically whispering even though they were all alone. He snapped back to attention and started to approach the girl.

"Mate, I think she's gone." The grey-eyed boy lowered his head so he wouldn't have to look at the other boy's reaction. For a moment, he didn't say anything. The older boy crouched down by her side, his head fallen to her chest, eyes closed.

Another moment of silence.

"Listen," he began again. He spoke very slowly as if he was concentrating on every syllable. "Listen, I think she's still alive. I can hear her heart."

Heartbeat is good. You're still alive if you have a beat in your chest drumming out the rhythm of life. The younger boy nudged his companion to the side. He was a brilliant guy, a true genius sometimes, but he'd clearly never been in the position where he needed to save someone's life.

He pressed his ear to the girl's chest. He could barely hear a faint putter, slow and weak. This girl was alive, barely, but still alive.

"Okay, she's fine, she'll be fine," he said, reassuring his companion and himself. "Stand back."

He pushed the older boy back to give himself and the girl a bit more room. He pointed his wand at her as he had done so many times before.

"Enervate." Nothing. After a moment, he turned to his classmate. "We should get Madame Trapner. She'll know better than us what to do." The two boys, rather reluctantly, took a few steps away from the girl before they heard a quiet gasp.

The younger boy turned around to see the girl. The expression in her eyes, fearful and timid, seemed out of place on her face; as if she wasn't the type of person to ever look helpless. One hand covered her mouth as the other grasped her side, arm wrapped around her stomach. She looked like a doe, caught but still attempting to hide. The boy stepped toward her.

"You probably have a concussion," the younger one offered, taking one more step toward the girl, crouching down and reaching out to touch her arm. "Don't worry, you're safe now."

The second he touched her, she sprang to life, throwing him to the ground. His back hit the ground and a cloud of dirt covered his face as she threw a leg over his waist. She straddled him before throwing her weight forward and holding her forearm across his neck.

Her left knee trapped his right hand while her right knee pinned his left arm to his leg. The grey-eyed boy was stuck with nowhere to move. This girl on top of him was clearly stronger than she looked. He stared into her eyes unafraid. Pain was no longer an enemy of his. It was going to follow him forever in this life he had made. He had accepted that fact long ago.

As he stared into her eyes, he recognized something he had often seen in his own- an intense survival instinct. She was serious and he knew, in that moment, that she was capable of killing and much worse. He could see a faint thirst for blood in her eyes. He didn't know if she recognized it at the time or even knew what it was, but he could see that hunger.

Neither one moved for a while. The younger boy was frozen in surprise and by the time he started to shift under her, Hermione was already moving. She jumped away from him, staring wide-eyed at her hands. She looked at him in fear, as if she had no idea what had just happened. The grey-eyed boy stood up and brushed himself off with an almost eerie calmness before turning to the girl.

"Listen," he voice filled with irritation. "We found you passed out in the forest. Personally, I didn't want to pick you up, but my _friend_ just had to help. I'm not going to hurt you, so unless you want to make yourself an enemy right off the bat, you might want to not threaten to hurt me."

"I- I-I don't know what just happened," Hermione stuttered, looking down away from his hardened gaze. "It was an accident."

"Oh, so you accidentally almost choked me to death?"

"Yes! I swear! I didn't mean it! When you touched me, I just- I just reacted."

The younger boy stared at the girl before him. She had moved like she knew exactly how to bring him to the ground. A normal person didn't react like that. A normal person couldn't get the best of him like that.

"Okay, whatever," he said in his oh-so-cool aristocratic way. This was the tone he took whenever he didn't know how to respond to something. It was a sort of defense mechanism that helped him keep out of trouble most times.

"Listen, I'm not going to hurt you," he spoke again with the same velvety smooth voice as before. Just listening to his voice put her at ease. "And anyway, I'm pretty sure that wouldn't help you out at all. We're in the middle of Hogwarts. You really shouldn't attack another student."

He sighed and stepped backwards few steps, cursing his companion in his head. Here he was, trying to help this girl out of the goodness of his heart, and he just got bloody attacked.

"What's your name anyway?" he asked. Hermione stared at him, her face the picture of calmness as her mind was running a million miles an hour. Who was this boy? Could she trust him? If she was really in 1977, she needed to find Dumbledore and quick.

"Oh that, um, I don't know," she said.

"What? You don't have a name?"

"No, no, I think I do. Actually, I'm pretty sure I do. I just don't remember it... right now." Hermione hoped the two boys wouldn't press to hard for information. The grey-eyed boy turned to his friend and then back to the girl.

"See, I told you. Concussion." Hermione cocked her head to the side, staring at the two boys. There was something strangely familiar about these two, like she had seen then before, maybe from afar.

"What are your names? If I may ask." The two boys shared another look. Then the younger one took a step forward and with a certain air of aristocracy, bowed slightly.

"Regulus Arcturus Black." The older boy stepped forward but didn't bow.

"Severus. Severus Snape."

_As if today couldn't get any worse._ Hermione glanced between the two dark haired boys in front of her. _Regulus and Professor Snape… And if Professor Snape is here, then…_ And for the second time that night Hermione fainted.

* * *

**1 September 1977**

**The Hospital Wing**

When Hermione woke up she noticed two things. First, her head was throbbing. After fainting twice, it seemed as though she had grown a rather large lump on the back of her head. Second, something close by smelled _really_ good.

It smelled like the woods just after rain. It smelled like old books bound in leather. It smelled like some kind of dark spice that Hermione couldn't place. It smelled like security and safety.

Suddenly Hermione's eyes sprung open. She instantly recognized the Hospital Wing and searched every bed for the person she was looking for. And then, three beds away from him she saw him. _Remus_.

He was sitting up in a bed talking with the healer, on top of the sheets unlike Hermione. He looked so young to her, but she would have recognized him with her eyes closed. His sandy hair was longer than she was used to. He was a bit pale, but compared to the Remus she knew, this boy seemed healthy, fit, and well fed. Unconsciously, she breathed in deeply, letting Remus' scent calm her nerves. Eyes closed, she let the feeling of warmth and safety envelope her.

When she opened her eyes, Remus was staring at her, head cocked to the side and eyebrow raised. She could tell he was sniffing slightly. Hermione blinked and quickly busied herself with examining the sheets of her bed. She slid her eyes to the side to look back at Remus. He was still staring and opened his mouth as if to speak.

"Oh, you're awake!" The healer at Remus' side quickly got up and walked briskly to Hermione's bed. "Remus, dear, take those potions and then you are free to go. You can tell Dumbledore I give you a clean bill of health." The young wizard continued to stare at Hermione and made no move to leave. Hermione watched him pull a long piece of parchment from his pocket.

"Now then, dear, what is your name? It seems the two boys who found you didn't know, and I must admit I've never seen you here at Hogwarts before."

"My name…" Hermione looked up at the healer and then glanced at Remus, who was busying himself with his parchment.

_"We lost the Map two months into seventh year because I let Filch catch me as a distraction…"_ Sirius' words popped into her head and something clicked. Remus had the Marauder's Map in his hands. The Map never lied and it knew her name. She looked up at the healer who was waiting patiently for an answer.

"My name is Hermione Granger," she said, hoping this wasn't going to end up coming back to get her in the future. "I need to see Albus immediately."

The force of her tone and the familiar use of Dumbledore's name seemed to startle the young healer. She nodded quickly, before speaking.

"Well, I examined your head while you were asleep. Besides a bit of a headache, you are good to go. Mister Lupin was just going to see the headmaster as well. Remus, please accompany Miss Granger."

"Oh no! I mean, um, I wouldn't want to inconvenience him."

"Nonsense, Mister Lupin is going anyway. Now off you two go, don't want to be out after curfew." The young healer collected her clipboard, turned on her heel, and disappeared into her office. Hermione nervously looked back at Remus.

"Um, shall we go then?" Hermione pushed back the crisp white sheets and pushed herself out of bed. Now standing she saw her beaded bag resting at the end of her bed. She quickly snatched it up and held it to her chest. She took a deep breath and started to walk toward the door, her eyes fluttering a bit as Remus' scent flooded her system once more.

She reached out to grab the door handle, not pausing to see if Remus was following. Her hearing told her he had scrambled after her pretty quickly. Before her hand reached the handle, Remus' arm shot out and grabbed her. Hermione turned to face him, looking him directly in the eyes.

"Who are you?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Who are you?" Remus' voice was gruffer this time, still young but a bit rougher.

"Hermione Granger." He stepped closer, not releasing her arm.

"That's not what I mean." Hermione felt her heart rate pick up and her mind was getting cloudy. Remus was barely a foot away. His scent was almost overwhelming and his touch was making her arm tingle.

"You need to unhand me now."

"Or what?"

"Or I'll do something we'll both regret."

"Oh really?" _Is he laughing at me?_ Hermione barely recognized the thought before she turned Remus around and pushed his back to the door. She moved in close and ran her free hand up his arm, resting on his bicep. She nuzzled her nose into his neck and breathed in deeply.

Remus practically jumped out of his skin. He jumped away and stared at her incredulously.

"Stop! What the hell are you thinking?" While it wasn't Moony speaking, the wolf in Hermione recognized him all the same. Hermione's eyes cleared and she blushed. She took a few steps back from Remus.

"See! I told you! I'm sorry about that, by the way. Sometimes I can't-"

"Control yourself." Remus finished her sentence, his eyes wide. She could practically see the gears in his head turning. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. When he opened his eyes, Hermione saw burning gold for just a split second.

"You're… You're…"

"Yeah."

"You're a werewolf."

"Yes, that I am. And so are you. Now, if you don't mind, I need to see Professor Dumbledore." Hermione reached behind Remus and pushed open the door. She waited for the shocked werewolf to lead her out before taking a glance back at the hospital wing.

Remus looked completely shocked. He kept opening and closing his mouth, unsure of what to say to the witch walking beside him. Hermione decided to intervene before the poor boy strained himself.

"I have some important details to discuss with Professor Dumbledore, so I would prefer if we just walked in silence. I can answer you're questions after I speak with him." Remus looked into her eyes. Hermione was suddenly reminded of how lonely _her_ Remus, her Remus in 1997 seemed. "I promise."

Remus nodded and the two walked the rest of the way to Dumbledore's office in silence. Hermione was hoping she wasn't making the biggest mistake ever and Remus was just repeating the same sentence over and over in his mind.

_She's a werewolf, too._

_She's a werewolf, too._

_She's a werewolf, too._

_She's a werewolf, too._

* * *

**A/N: **We are officially in 1977 - the Marauders Era! Please review! Thank you for reading. Oh, and if there are any scenes with the Marauders (or anyone else from this time period) you want to see, don't hesitate to mention in a review.

Much love! -V.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **I was sorry to receive a review asking if I was "ripping off" the plot of The Debt of Time. It is my opinion that stories in which Hermione goes back in time tend to follow a certain formula. There are certain scenes and events which happen across the board. I am in no way trying to plagiarize or steal anyone else's story, but I do understand the concern. Each decision I make for this fic in regards of plot is calculated and thought out (and is usually connected to a future plot point). However, I am not perfect. I _have_ read The Debt of Time (among other time travel stories). If any of you see an instance that seems too close to another story, please do not hesitate to point it out to me, and I will try to remedy it the best I can.

* * *

**Chapter 10: First Impressions**

**1 September 1977**

**Outside Dumbledore's Office**

The pair stopped outside the entrance to Dumbledore's office. Hermione looked at the young Remus who seemed to be off in his own little world. Remus, lost in thought, felt Hermione's eyes on him and finally realized she was waiting for him to say the password.

"Lemon Drop." Hermione smiled. It seemed as though some things never changed.

Again the two walked in silence until they reached the door to Dumbledore's office. Remus raised a hand to knock, but a voice called out from within before he could make contact with the door.

"Come in, Mister Lupin." Remus shrugged at Hermione and pushed open the door. Hermione hesitated, suddenly nervous, and made an effort to stay behind Remus.

Dumbledore was seated at his desk, so the two students had to walk a bit to reach him. Hermione blinked a couple times. This "younger" Dumbledore looked barely different from the one she remembered. His beard was a bit shorter, but really that was it. Hermione was instantly comforted by this familiar face.

"Ah, Mister Lupin, and how was your visit with Madame Trapner?"

"Um, she said all is well, sir."

"And how are you feeling about your final year here?"

"Happy to be back, sir." Remus seemed a little thrown by the fact Dumbledore had yet to ask about Hermione or even look at her. He turned his head to glance at her.

"Good, good. Now, I expect your friends are waiting to see you. Would you please excuse Miss Granger and me? We have a few things to discuss." Hermione's eyes widened at Dumbledore's use of her name. Thankfully, Remus was standing several steps in front of her so he didn't notice her shock.

"Of course, sir." He nodded at the headmaster and turned to leave. As he passed Hermione, he held her gaze for as long as possible before making his exit. Hermione watched him leave and then turned to face Dumbledore, whose eyes were twinkling with amusement.

"Sorry, sir, but how do you know who I am?" Hermione moved closer to Dumbledore's desk.

"Time is a fickle thing, don't you think, Miss Granger? 1997 is it?" Hermione nodded. "My, you certainly have come a long way. Now, Miss Granger, what exactly do you know of time travel?"

"The time-turner was invented in 1234 by Gibbring Spalder. The Ministry of Magic regulates all use of time-turners through the Department of Mysteries. However, time-turners are rarely issued because of the strict rules that govern them." Hermione repeated for Dumbledore some of the information Professor McGonagall had shared with her during her third year.

"Yes, yes, the time-turner has proven to be a very interesting piece of magic," Dumbledore nodded. "But that's not what brought you here, is it?"

"I'm sorry, sir," Hermione looked down. "I'm not actually sure how I ended up here."

"You know, when I've lost something, I usually end up finding it close at hand." As Dumbledore spoke, he looked directly at the pocket of Hermione's jacket. Slowly, Hermione reached a hand in and gasped when her fingers found something cold. She removed her hand and examined the object in her palm.

A small, bright moonstone was cradled in an intricate silver cage, which was attached to a simple chain. Hermione brushed her fingers lightly over the necklace, wondering where it had come from. Then suddenly, the memory of her departure swept to the front of her mind like a gust of wind. Remus had said he had a portkey. He had pressed something into her hand.

"I- I-" Hermione struggled to find words.

"The tricky thing about time travel, Miss Granger, is that many people assume that by traveling through time, history can be rewritten, changed. But in actuality, this is false."

"But sir, I've had- I mean, I've heard stories of time travel, and people _do_ change the course of history." Hermione corrected herself, careful not to divulge the specifics of her past, well, future.

"Ah, but that's it! The _course_ of history, which is in truth the _future_, not the past. I assume you believe that your existence here has changed a great deal of the world as you knew it."

"Well, yes, but hasn't it? I mean, I'm not supposed to be here."

"Oh, but aren't you?" Hermione furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "All the time you spend here has already happened in the future you left. You were always meant to come here. Time is a powerful thing not easily moved. Nothing can happen that hasn't already occurred. The events which happened to bring about the specific circumstance of your arrival here will be produced again, no matter how you try to affect them."

"So, I'm meant to be here? And I can't change anything? Anything at all?" Dumbledore's face became grave all of a sudden.

"No matter how much you will it, the events that must unfold _will_ indeed unfold."

Hermione stepped back. It was all too much. If what Dumbledore said was true, then… then Remus must have known she would travel back in time. But he had never said anything… Maybe he didn't remember meeting her.

"Sir, how soon can I return home?" Hermione fingered the necklace in her hand absentmindedly, fearing Dumbledore's answer.

"I'm afraid that's not up to me, my dear. You've come by extraordinary means, and I think that is exactly how you will depart." Again, the headmaster eyed the necklace Hermione held in her hand.

"For now, I think it wise for you to stay close by. You shall stay here at Hogwarts as a student. But I must implore that you not share a word of your circumstances with anyone. These are dark times we are living in, and I should hate to think what would happen if that information were to reach the wrong hands."

"You want me to stay? Here? At Hogwarts?"

"Why yes, my dear, don't you want to attend your seventh year?" Dumbledore winked.

"How-" Hermione shut her mouth. Clearly it was beyond reason to try to understand how Dumbledore knew so much about her.

"Now!" Dumbledore stood up and moved around his desk. "There is another matter we need to discuss." Hermione looked up at her headmaster, suddenly understanding what he was referring to.

"How long have you been a werewolf?"

* * *

For the next two hours, Hermione and Professor Dumbledore went over all of the logistics of Hermione's stay. She was to be a transfer muggleborn from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic. Hermione had plenty of knowledge of Beauxbatons from her fourth year at Hogwarts as well as conversations with Fleur. During her childhood, Hermione's family had often vacationed in France, so Hermione knew enough of the French language to pass if the need ever arose.

The reason for her transfer would be the death of her parents. After the death of her parents in a car crash, Professor Dumbledore contacted her, offering up a place at Hogwarts. According to her new biography, Dumbledore had known her father quite well despite him being a muggle.

The circumstances of Hermione's lycanthropy were also discussed. She admitted to Dumbledore that the younger Remus already knew, but she kept to herself that the _older_ Remus was the one to infect her. And thankfully, Dumbledore didn't ask. Dumbledore proposed the idea of her spending her full moons with Remus in the Shrieking Shack, and Hermione jumped at the idea, though she decided, silently, that she would need to deal with the other Marauders.

Finally, after two hours, Hermione's fake life was set. Dumbledore had produced a set of texts for her to use, as well as a trunk full of clothes. While the trunk contained mainly uniforms, Hermione still had her beaded bag full of clothes, money, and other items she had intended for her time away from Grimmauld Place. Thankfully, she wouldn't have to rely on Dumbledore for everything.

"Now, Miss Granger, before you go," Dumbledore spoke as he walked to a shelf and reached for the Sorting Hat. Hermione's eyes grew wide as she realized he meant to sort her.

"Oh no, Professor, please. I- I don't want to be sorted again. I am a Gryffindor and would like to remain so." Dumbledore paused before placing the Sorting Hat back on its shelf.

"Very well, Miss Granger." With a flick of his wand, Dumbledore transfigured all of Hermione's new standard-issue uniforms to Gryffindor uniforms. "Run along now, your trunk will be waiting for you in Gryffindor tower."

Hermione nodded and left. As she descended the stairs she looked at the moonstone necklace in her hand. _If this is what brought me here, then this is what will take me home. I better keep this close._ She secured the necklace around her neck and tucked it away under her shirt. A wave of déjà vu hit Hermione as she thought back to her third year and her adventures in time travel.

When she finally stepped off the stairs, Hermione was surprised to see a group of boys waiting for her. _Remus, James, and Sirius_.

The three boys were sitting against the wall opposite her, Remus in the middle with James and Sirius on either side. James was basically the spitting image of Harry, except of course the eyes. And Hermione thought James' hair was even wilder and messier than Harry's, though she wasn't sure how that was possible.

Seeing Sirius was positively alarming. Gone were the tattoos and wild eyes. This Sirius was so youthful. His grey eyes, though still troubled, were clearer than Hermione had ever seen them. His dark locks fell almost to his shoulders and a few pieces brushed gently against his eyes. Hermione quickly blinked and averted her eyes, so it wouldn't appear as if she was staring.

Remus was the first to rise.

"Um, Hermione, was it?" Hermione stopped walking and turned to Remus.

"Yes. And you're Remus, right?" Remus nodded. By this time, Sirius and James had managed to get to their feet and Sirius nudged Remus.

"Oh, these are my mates, James Potter and-"

"Sirius Orion Black, at your service." Sirius stepped forward and bowed in exactly the same manner as his brother had just hours before, except Sirius' tone was a bit playful. Hermione chuckled. Sirius raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry, it's just your brother introduced himself in exactly the same way." James, Sirius, and Remus all shared a concerned look.

"My brother?" Hermione suddenly realized the position she had put herself in. This was supposed to be the first time she was meeting Sirius. She shouldn't know that he had a brother.

"Um, well, I'm guessing he was your brother. His name was Regulus Black. You have the same last name, so I just assumed." Sirius' eyes narrowed.

"And how do _you_ know my brother?" Hermione was a bit shocked at the turn of Sirius' tone. She felt almost as if he was getting ready to interrogate her and ask if she was loyal to Voldemort. Hermione thought for a second and settled on telling the truth, or at least a vague version of the truth.

"He found me. I ran into trouble with my portkey and ended up near the forest. He and another boy found me and brought me to the hospital wing."

Sirius opened his mouth to ask another question, but Remus put a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you going to be staying here?" Hermione's heart swelled at the hope in Remus' eyes.

"Yes, actually, I'm going to be a seventh-year student here. I've just transferred from Beauxbatons." Remus' face lit up, but Sirius was the first to speak.

"Why did you transfer now? Why here?" Hermione was confused and rather a bit hurt by Sirius' suspicion. Remus hit Sirius on the back of his head and smiled at Hermione.

"We're seventh years, too. Have you already been sorted?"

"Yep. Gryffindor," Hermione said proudly.

"Awesome, so are we!" James finally spoke up. "Come on, we'll show you the way." The four started to make their way to the Gryffindor Tower. Hermione looked pretty convincing as a transfer student as she was looking around everywhere, just appreciating being at Hogwarts again. While she was busy looking at all the paintings and such, she didn't notice that James and Sirius had walked a bit ahead.

"Listen, Hermione," Remus started to speak and Hermione turned her head to look at him. "I just want you to know I'm here for you. You're pretty young, right?"

"Well, I'm almost 18-"

"Oh, no, I meant you're a young werewolf."

"Oh, that. Yes, very young."

"If you don't mind my asking, how young?"

"Um, I haven't exactly even transformed yet. I haven't had my first full moon." Hermione made sure to whisper so there was no chance of James or Sirius overhearing. Remus stopped walking. He took Hermione by the arms. She looked down at Remus' hands and tried to step away. Remus looked confused.

"I'm sorry. I- I don't have complete control over myself, yet. I've been working on it, but…"

"There's no need to apologize. I've been there before." He dropped his arms to his side, and the two began walking again. Remus looked nervously ahead to James and Sirius, unsure if he should spill his friends' secret.

"Hermione, if you want I could be there for you, for your first time. I can help you through it." Hermione looked at Remus with shining eyes. Some things, she decided, never changed, and Remus' compassion was one of them.

"I would really appreciate that, Remus. You have no idea."

"My friends, James, Sirius, and Peter- you haven't met him, but you will- they all know about me. And they're really good about it, really accepting. I'm not saying you have to tell them, but just know they understand, as much as they're able. And, well, they also know the signs so they might figure it out."

"They must be really great friends."

"They are. James is hilarious and can make just about anyone laugh. Sirius is a bit arrogant, but we forgive him for that. And Peter's just kind. He always brings me chocolate after the full moon." They walked in a comfortable silence for a while.

Hermione thought about Peter Pettigrew. She had forgotten that he would be here. The man responsible for the death of Harry's parents, the reason Harry was an orphan, the reason Sirius spent 12 years in Azkaban. She shuddered, wondering how she was going to face him.

She couldn't be outright cold to him. She needed Remus right now, and Peter was one of his best friends. And she couldn't change anything either. Peter was going to betray the Marauders whether she was nice to him or not.

"Um, Remus," Hermione started tentatively, unsure if he was going to believe what she had to say. "Um, where I was before, before coming here, I had a mentor who was a werewolf." Remus looked at her astonished.

"He's- uh, he's gone now, but for a while, he was helping me adjust to everything. And he told me that, at least for the first two moons, I would respond well to the directions of other werewolves. See, there was an incident before and he, well, his wolf, kind of talked to me, and I stopped.

"So, maybe what I'm saying is that, if I get out of control, would you make sure I stopped?"

It took Remus a moment for the information to sink in. He had done a lot of research on werewolves since he had been at Hogwarts, but he had never heard of something like this. But then again, he had never really known another werewolf. He had always been alone.

"Of course, Hermione. I'll be here for you." Hermione felt a weight lift from her shoulders, and she smiled at Remus.

"Thank you." Again the two fell into a comfortable silence. Now that they had caught up to James and Sirius, they didn't want to be overheard.

Hermione took the time to observe James and Sirius. Out of the three boys, Remus appeared to have changed the least overtime, but then she didn't know James in the future. James walked with a casual confidence whereas Sirius walked with an air of aristocracy. She could tell it was innate as his gate and posture weren't completely perfect.

She took a deep breath, careful not to let Remus know she was literally trying to smell his friends. Sirius smelled almost the same- like fresh leather, the woods at dusk, and some kind of berry. But Hermione wasn't hit by the same feeling as before when she breathed him in, and that made her heart sink a bit as she realized she clearly didn't really know _this_ Sirius. But when she had smelled Remus before, in the Hospital Wing, she had felt safe, like before. She remembered what Remus had said.

_It's because we're connected, we're the same lineage. Since I'm technically your alpha, my smell should reflect that. Comfortable, safe, familiar. To me, your smell makes me feel protective._

Hermione eyed Remus. Did he feel protective over her now? Did her smell affect him the same as in the future? Would he figure out that he was the one who bit her? Hermione cringed at the thought of this young Remus thinking he infected someone. _No, I must keep this from him. He doesn't need to know. It would kill him._

Before she knew it, the three Marauders and Hermione were standing in front of the Fat Lady. The Fat Lady rolled her eyes at the Marauders as Sirius winked at her.

"Virtus." The portrait swung open, and Sirius and James stepped through. Remus stepped to the side so Hermione could pass through first, but she stopped and looked him in the eyes.

"Remus, I'm nervous."

"There's no reason to be nervous, Hermione. You've already made three friends, and I promise Sirius will calm down. Don't worry, I'll be here for you."

Hermione smiled, despite the storm in her stomach. As she followed Remus into Gryffindor tower, her mind was drowning in question.

How long was she going to be here? When was she going to get home? How was she going to live with the Marauders knowing what she knew? How could she bear to face them, to talk to them? And what about their future selves? What were Remus and Sirius doing in the future? Did they know where she was? Did Harry and Ron know where she was? Were they safe?

As Hermione's eyes met the warm crimson and gold of the common room, tears threatened to fall from her eyes. She honestly had thought she might never see this room again, and yet here she was. She looked around the room at the various students hanging around. A couple students were playing chess by the windows, while a few girls were gossiping on a couch by the fire. This was what she had wanted, one final year at Hogwarts… but not this way.

* * *

**A/N: **I made up the history of the time-turner. I couldn't find any information on it, but please let me know if it is in fact available.

If the explanation of time travel is too confusing, and I know I didn't do the best job of explaining, please look up the Novikov self-consistency principle. This is what I have (poorly) tried to explain.

As always, thank you for reading.

Much love. -V.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **I am so sorry, my dear readers. It has been too long since I updated, and I am truly sorry. These past two weeks have been very hectic for me, but things are calm now. I promise! I wish this chapter was more exciting. I feel like I've been making you all wait for nothing special. But please know that I truly appreciate every favorite and follow and visit. Thank you!

* * *

**Chapter 11: Marauder Rule #48**

**1 September 1977**

**Gryffindor Common Room**

"Okay, listen up, fellow Gryffindors!" James' voice called Hermione away from her introspection. "As your head boy, I am pleased to introduce Miss Hermione Granger, our new transfer student."

James made a sweeping motion with his arms and fell to a knee, pointing to Hermione. A mad blush rose to her cheeks and Hermione stared at James with wide eyes. While the common room wasn't full, there were still plenty of students there to witness Hermione's mortification. She looked to Remus for help, but the werewolf just shrugged and attempted to hide his smile behind a hand.

Sirius laughed a bit, but mainly at his friend still kneeling on the ground. He walked by James, giving him a gentle shove, before continuing on to sit in an armchair by the fire. A short, blonde boy came to his side and the two began talking in somewhat hushed voices. Sirius kept glancing at Hermione from the side of his eyes. Meanwhile, Hermione was currently the center of attention for everyone else in the room.

"Okay, okay, everyone back to whatever you were doing," Remus finally spoke up to save Hermione. "You can all meet Hermione tomorrow." All the Gryffindors seemed content with this, and in seconds, the common room was bustling with activity again.

James stood, ran a hand through his hair, and fixed his glasses. He made his way over to Hermione with a big grin on his face.

"So, Hermione, what do you think?" He gestured around the room. Hermione smiled at James despite herself, and followed his hand around the room.

"I think it's absolutely fantastic."

"Good! Now, it may seem strange at first, but don't worry. If you stick with us Marauders, you'll feel at home in no time." James slung an arm around Hermione's shoulder.

"Marauders?" Feigning ignorance, Hermione looked up at James, who was actually quite a bit taller than Harry. "What is that?" Remus rolled his eyes.

"Oh my dear, only the four most handsome, intelligent, brave, loyal, awe-inspiring-"

"Humble."

"Ah, yes, thank you, my dear Moony - and humble men to have ever graced the halls of Hogwarts. There's Sirius, the dark knight. Remus, the ferocious one. And Peter, the compassionate one."

"Ah, and which one are you?"

"I'm glad you asked, my dear Hermione." James waved his wand and transfigured a nearby quill into a red rose. He handed it to Hermione and winked. "Of course, I, Mr. James Potter, am the heartthrob."

Hermione chuckled, and Remus burst out laughing. Hermione looked at James, expecting him to be a bit ruffled by their laughter, but he was unperturbed.

"Ah, but alas, it seems this fair maiden is immune to my many charms." James struck his chest and turned his face away from Hermione. "I must go out in search of another… Oh, Lily!" James looked toward the stairs to the girls' dormitories.

"Sod off, Potter!" A voice called down to him. James looked back at Hermione.

"Ah, my sweet flower. She knows just what to say to get my heart pounding." He looked back at Hermione. "Well, I shall be off, but don't worry, I shall speak well of your greatness, my dear Hermione." And with that, James took off toward the stairs to draw Lily down.

As he left Hermione looked at Remus.

"Is he always like that?"

"Believe it or not, yes. I've always told him that if being a wizard doesn't work out, he can always become an actor." Hermione's laughter was joined by the growling of her stomach. She blushed.

"Oh Merlin, I didn't even think- Oh, but I've missed dinner haven't I?"

"I'm afraid so, but don't worry. We'll find you something to eat." Remus smiled down at Hermione before directing her toward the door. He motioned her through before turning back to the room. Hermione turned and saw him motioning something to Sirius. She exited the common room and waited for Remus.

Remus joined her outside and smiled brightly down at her. He'd clearly already had a growth spurt, but he wasn't quite as tall as she was used to, maybe an inch or two shorter now. Hermione was suddenly hit with intense homesickness. All she wanted to do was wrap herself in Remus' arms and hide from this crazy situation she'd found herself in. She wanted Remus to tell her that everything was going to be okay and that she didn't have to worry about anything.

But of course, this Remus wasn't _her_ Remus. Well that Remus wasn't _her _Remus either, but still. She didn't know this Remus, and he didn't know her.

Hermione looked into Remus' eyes and tried to match his smile, although hers turned out to be a little more scared than happy. She was so focused on mimicking Remus' smile that she hadn't noticed he had started talking.

"In any other situation, I would never be allowed to show you this, but there's kind of a Marauder rule in place for this. So, I'm using my free pass on you."

"Sorry, what?"

"Oh, it's- well, huh, I guess the best explanation would be to show you. So you'll just have to wait and see. But I promise it's worth it!"

Remus walked beside Hermione with the Marauders Map in his left hand. Although he kept it out of her sight, Hermione knew exactly what he was doing. His quick glances to the parchment were anything but stealthy. Out of politeness, Hermione pretended as if she was completely oblivious to the whole thing, instead focusing on pretending to not know her way around.

One more turn and they arrived in front of the entrance to the kitchens. Remus stopped her just in front of the painting.

"And here we are!"

"Oh, well, I guess this is quite a nice painting of fruit, but I was hoping for something a little more substantial," Hermione teased Remus.

"Oh just wait, Hermione." Remus reached out his hand, not before stashing the map in his robes, and tickled the pear. Hermione was surprised to find she was giggling at Remus without having to try to be oblivious of how to enter the kitchens.

Remus held out his arm to let Hermione enter before him, and the pair stepped into the kitchens.

Inside, the kitchens were quiet. Four long tables were set up, mimicking the Great Hall. The sides of the room were full of shelves with plates, glasses and silverware, or different ingredients. A huge fire was casting shadows from the end of the room. The house elves were nowhere to be seen.

Hermione found herself smiling again and looked at Remus, who was watching her reaction with a twinkle in his eye.

"Did you just bring me to the kitchens of Hogwarts?"

"Yes, I did." Remus could barely contain his excitement. He took Hermione by the shoulders and walked her over to one of the tables. Once she was seated, he walked to a little door hidden in the corner of the room. He knocked twice and waited.

Suddenly, a little house elf emerged from behind the doorway and looked up at Remus with big, blinking eyes.

"Master Remus, such a surprise. Such a surprise. What may Lido prepare for the young master?"

"My friend missed dinner, so if you have any leftovers, she would greatly appreciate it." Remus gestured to Hermione.

Hermione waved at the little house elf as her blue eyes grew to the size of saucers. She looked at Hermione and then back at Remus and then back at Hermione. Finally, she turned to Remus with a huge grin on her face.

"No, no, Master Remus. No leftovers. Lido will prepare something special for young master's _friend_."

As Lido got to work preparing a meal, Remus walked to join Hermione at the table, both wearing amusing shades of blush. Hermione tried to recover the moment.

"So, what was that?"

"Oh, well, that's what I was trying to explain on the walk over here.

"See, only us Marauders know how to get in the kitchens. We plan on passing the secret down, but for now, it's just for us. Anyway, we have this rule that each Marauder can show the kitchens to one, and only one non-Marauder. James is waiting to show Lily – you'll figure out that whole situation soon. Peter hasn't showed it to anyone yet, but he almost has a couple times. Sirius doesn't really believe in "sharing the secret," so I doubt he'll show anyone before we leave."

Hermione was a bit stunned. She knew from stories Remus and Sirius had shared that the Marauder Rules were always followed, no matter what. It warmed her heart to think Remus had used his one pass to show her the kitchens.

"Oh, Remus, I'm honored. But you didn't have to give up your pass for me. I'm sure there's tons of other people you know much better than me who would love to see the kitchens."

Remus blushed again.

"Well, I dunno. I just feel like it's going to be different with you. I mean you _understand_."

Hermione nodded and opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Lido carrying an overflowing tray. The house elf quickly got to work setting the table around Remus and Hermione. The two teenagers tried to help Lido, but she kept swatting at their hands until they finally gave up.

When Lido finished, Hermione was amazed. She had prepared a miniature welcome feast with more than enough food for the pair. Much to Remus' embarrassment, Lido had also brought over some candles and a deep red tablecloth, setting quite the romantic setting. Hermione looked at Remus and the two burst out laughing.

"Thank you, Lido. This is brilliant." The little house elf smiled at Hermione and scurried away.

Throwing courtesies to the wind, Hermione dug into the meal. She filled her plate and smiled when she noticed Remus doing the same.

"You said before that it's going to be different with me. What did you mean?"

"Well, I mean, the whole werewolf thing. And please forgive me, I don't mean to suggest that's your stand out characteristic. It's more of a reflection on me, really. I've just- I've never really met another werewolf before."

"Never? Really? I would have thought… Well, you must know I'm not at all knowledgeable. Oh, well, I've read thousands of pages about werewolves, but there's hardly any truth in those."

"There's only a few books in the library that even mention werewolves. Where did you find all that information?"

"Oh, um, where I lived before. There was a rather large library filled with the most unusual books of all kinds. I remember finding one devoted to the uses of Veela blood, in fact. It did have a good number of books on werewolves, but even still, most of it was egregiously false."

Remus nodded enthusiastically, and the two ate for several minutes in a comfortable silence they were both growing accustomed to. Suddenly, Remus dropped his fork.

"I'm sorry, I just can't believe you're a werewolf, too." Hermione laughed.

"And why is that?"

"You're beautiful!"

For a moment, Hermione and Remus just stared at each other in surprise. Both of them, eyes wide, had certainly not expected that from Remus' mouth.

"I mean, it's just that- not that you're not – but, um, you, you don't have any scars."

Hermione absentmindedly rubbed her shoulder. She hadn't noticed that it no longer hurt. Was she that distracted? Or was it just healing?

"You keep forgetting I haven't even transformed yet. I'm a novice at this."

"You're right. Compared to me, you're a beginner. I'm obviously an expert."

Hermione smiled, but then let her face fall. She studied the few scars on Remus' face.

"Do you- do you mind if I asked about your first time, your first transformation?"

Remus looked down at his plate and pushed the remaining food around with his fork. Hermione suddenly felt very nervous.

"Remus?" He looked up into her eyes. "You don't have to tell me now. You don't have to tell me ever, really. I just… Well, just know I'm thankful that I have you here to help me."

The pair looked into each other's eyes for a while. The comfortable silence that was becoming very much a part of their blooming friendship again filled the room. Hermione, who was surprised her emotions hadn't gotten ahead of her lately, felt like a wall had been dropped on her chest. She was suddenly overwhelmed with a sense of serenity and peace and warmth and security and a tingling sense of home. Remus on the other hand seemed to be dealing with his own emotions.

Finally, Hermione tore her eyes away from Remus, and the overwhelming sense of safety faded a bit.

"Well, we should be heading back, shouldn't we?" Remus nodded and the two left the kitchens, but not without another "secretive" glance at the Marauders Map.

* * *

"I'm telling you guys, she's special. I mean every time I'm around her, it's like _Moony _wants to protect her."

"Aw, does Moony have a little crush?"

"Shut up, James. Like you're one to talk."

"Wait this is the new girl, right?"

"Yes, Peter, and our dear friend Moony's in love with her."

A pillow hit James square in the face with a surprising amount of force. Sirius barked out a laugh and soon the rest of the Marauders joined in.

"I just can't believe you used your kitchen trip on her. I mean you've known her what, a couple hours."

Remus glanced at Sirius. He was a bit confused by his friend's behavior. Out of the other three, Remus expected Sirius to be the happiest for him, to tell him to go for the girl. Then Remus remembered Sirius' conversation with Hermione.

"This is because she's met Regulus, isn't it? Don't lie, Padfoot."

"Okay, fine! But you have to admit it's a bit suspicious. The dark side is growing. She arrives out of nowhere, and Regulus, I mean _Regulus_, is the first person she meets. Come on guys, there's got to be something up with the bird."

"Really? Really, Padfoot?"

Remus and Sirius just glared at each other.

"Come on, Remus, what do you even know about her?"

"She's smart and interesting. She's well read on some fascinating subject. She even mentioned a book about the uses of Veela blood, and-"

"What?" Sirius' eyes were widened now. He pulled himself from his bed where he was sitting and stood.

"What?"

"She read a book on the _uses of Veela blood_?" The level of disgust in Sirius' voice rose as he spoke. Remus suddenly felt very defensive.

"Well, I don't think she read it. She just said she found it in her library at home."

Sirius sat back down with a devil's smile.

"Well, that solves it. She's bad news."

"Padfoot, you can't be serious."

"Oh, but I am, Prongs. See back at the cave my dear mother Walburga calls a house, she too has a book on the uses of Veela blood. I've seen it. It's dark, really dark. So that means, Little Miss Transfer is actually Little Miss Evil."

The three other Marauders just gaped at Sirius, who was looking quite pleased with himself. Remus looked over to Peter and James, making sure they were reacting the same way to Sirius. Seeing that they were, he turned back to Sirius.

"You've lost it, mate." Remus shook his head and started to close his bed curtains. "You think _I_ don't know her. _You_ don't know her. I really didn't think you'd be so quick to judge."

And with that, Remus shut his curtains, locking himself away from the outside world. But sleep evaded him long into the night; instead, thoughts of a bushy haired werewolf filled his mind.

* * *

Hermione some how managed to get to the seventh year girls' room without running into anyone. Remus had shielded her from the many faces in the Common Room upon their return. She found her bed quickly enough as it was the only one that wasn't surrounded by personal items. Before anyone could interrupt her solitude, she stole into the bathroom.

She closed the door behind her and sighed. Tears stung her eyes but she shamed them back to their source. She moved slowly almost as if she was unsure of her movements. She stripped off her clothes layer-by-layer and grimaced at the bruises that still flowered her shoulder.

The water pressure was surprisingly strong. Hermione stepped into the shower and let the water beat against her skin. She barely adjusted the temperature and watched as fog crept around her. The water cleaned her skin like fiery tongues of holy water. She scrubbed and scrubbed her skin until it flashed red.

The reality of the situation she was in was finally starting to get to her. She was completely alone. Yes, she had Remus and Sirius and even Dumbledore. Hell, even Professor Snape was here. But they didn't know her, and she didn't really know them as they were at this age. She had no one to turn to for advice on how to proceed.

And of course there was the bit about being a werewolf. She already knew the Marauders were protective over Remus and hardly missed a full moon. But what was going to happen when suddenly a new wolf joins the mix?

As the water started to grow cold, Hermione made some final decisions. _Talk to Remus. Befriend James and Lily for Harry. Get on Sirius' good side. Be nice to Regulus._

The list made sense in her head – she needed to talk to Remus about the whole lycanthropy ordeal. She owed it to Harry to learn as much as she could about his parents to relay to him if and when she ever returned. She needed to be on Sirius' good side despite whatever had happened between them earlier. Hermione didn't think she could face this without both Sirius and Remus.

And finally, she felt almost as if she owed it to Sirius to be kind to Regulus. Hermione remembered how broken Sirius had looked, fallen on Regulus' bed crying. And with that she also remembered Sirius' words…

_"Well, it explains why __someone__ was so kind to him when we were at Hogwarts… I never really understood what she saw in him."_

Could it be that Sirius was talking about her? If he was, did that mean he remembered her being in the past? Did Remus? And if they did, why had they never said anything? Why hadn't they warned her? And why, why did they make her go alone?

* * *

**A/N: **I hope you all like this chapter. Let me know what you like and dislike! Again, thank you for reading!

Much love. -V.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **I know not a lot happens in this chapter, and I apologize. Once we get through Hermione's "introduction" to Hogwarts, things will start to pick up again.

* * *

**Chapter 12: Getting to Know You**

**1 September 1977**

**Seventh Year Girls Dormitory**

"Ugh, honestly one of these days that James Potter is going to be the death of me."

"Oh, please, Lily. You two are friends now. You can't fool me. I know you don't hate him."

Voices drifted into the bathroom, and Hermione finally emerged from the shower. She changed quickly into the clothes she had brought into the bathroom and walked back into the bedroom.

A pretty redhead and a blonde were sitting on the bed next to Hermione's. Hermione didn't have to look twice to know the redhead was none other than Lily Evans.

"Okay, so I don't hate him, but I still think he can be an arrogant prat sometimes."

Hermione was frozen in the doorway. Meeting James Potter and the Marauders was one thing, but Lily Evans? Perhaps it was because she already knew Sirius and Remus that meeting James hadn't made her nervous. She had heard so many stories of Harry's father's antics that she felt like she already knew him a bit. Or maybe it was because he looked so much like Harry, it was hard to be anything but comforted. But Lily…

Hermione suddenly felt a strong need to have Lily like her. Hermione was after all one of Harry's best friends. What would it mean if his own mother didn't like her?

The two girls across the room stopped talking and finally noticed Hermione.

"Oh, you must be Hermione!" Lily jumped up from her bed and walked over to Hermione, hand extended. Hermione smiled and shook her hand. "I'm Lily Evans, Head Girl. James told me about you. You just transferred from Beauxbatons right?"

Hermione nodded, still nervous to speak. The girl Lily had been talking to walked over and shook Hermione's hand.

"Marlene McKinnon. It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too."

"It's a shame you missed the welcome feast, but I suppose it probably would have been awkward for you to be sorted in front of everybody. I don't think we've ever had a transfer student."

"I do feel a bit strange starting my final year somewhere new, but I sort of found myself in circumstances that left me no other choice."

Lily and Marlene smiled at Hermione, but didn't press her for more details. Hermione looked around the room and noticed there were only five beds in the room.

"There's only four of you?"

"Yeah well, Gryffindor had a poor showing of females our year. What was it, Lily, almost half? Yeah, almost half the girls at our sorting went to Ravenclaw. It was so strange. Five girls in a row went to Ravenclaw before Lily got sorted in Gryffindor."

"So who are the other two?"

"Mary MacDonald sleeps over there. She's a prefect and is on rounds tonight, but you'll meet her soon. And over there, that's Dorcas Meadowes' bed. You probably won't see much of her. Her boyfriend is in Hufflepuff, and they're _always_ together." Hermione nodded along and moved toward her bed.

"Is Hogwarts very different from Beauxbatons?" Lily and Marlene sat back on the bed next to Hermione's. Hermione saw a familiar glint of curiosity in Lily's eyes.

"Well, um, we have a castle a lot like Hogwarts, but it's much less magical, I guess you could say. The staircases don't move at all, and it's a bit more like a traditional castle."

"Well, classes don't start until Monday, so you have the weekend to get accustomed to the castle. It gets a bit tricky sometimes, but you'll learn it eventually."

"It's really a beautiful castle. Remus was showing me around a bit earlier."

Marlene and Lily shared a look. Lily looked back at Hermione.

"Remus Lupin?"

"Um, yeah, I had a bit of a mishap getting here, so I ended up in the hospital wing – that's where I met Remus."

Lily looked pensive for a moment before smiling brightly at Hermione.

"Well if you had to meet any Marauder first, I'm glad it was Remus."

Hermione smiled and shyly said her goodnights. Lily offered to show her where some classrooms were located, and Hermione had to turn her face away so she wouldn't have to look at Lily's eyes. Seeing Harry's eyes made her miss him terribly, and suddenly there was a dark hole opening in her chest. Her sadness was growing, and she was struggling to contain it. Closing the curtains to her bed, she cast a quick silencing charm.

"Oh Merlin, oh Merlin, oh Merlin."

Hermione flung herself back on her pillows. She felt her face tense up and suddenly she was full on sobbing. Her lycanthropy amplified her fear and anxiety, and now she was struggling for breath.

"Okay, okay, just breathe, Hermione. You're okay. I'm okay. Everything is going to be okay."

She sat up and ran her hands through her hair.

"Honestly, Remus, what on earth were you thinking? A little warning would have been nice, don't you think?" Her sadness was quickly turning to a full-on rage. "Seriously, just a little heads up. _Oh, Hermione, by the way, this portkey doesn't go to my house. It's for Hogwarts! In the 70s! Have fun!_ I swear, when I see that stupid werewolf again…"

And just like that the anger faded, and Hermione felt empty and lost. She rubbed her eyes and looked up, trying to remember the last time she saw her boys.

The last time she had _seen_ Remus, been around him without that silly mask, had been the night she asked him to take her away. The last time she had seen Harry and Ron had been days ago. She had been reading in the library, and the boys had been arguing over the specifics of some German quidditch move. She wished she could remember the name.

The last time she had seen Sirius was the night before she left. She remembered him taking off her eye mask and having to focus everything she had into controlling her actions. Sirius had been a bit strange that night. What had he said?

_3, 9, 77. 8:00 at the stairway to heaven. Marauder's Map lost two months into final year. Marauders are Sirius' family._

Hermione suddenly found new energy. Sirius must have been trying to tell her something. He must have been hinting at something. That's why he brought up Marauder secrets, because he knew she was going back.

Hermione fell back down and went through the list in her head.

"3, 9, 77. 8:00 at the stairway to heaven. Marauder's Map lost two months into final year. Marauders are Sirius' family.

"Okay, the first one makes no sense. Next one. The Marauders have the map for two more months, so they have it now. That's why I had to use my real name, because it would have shown on the map. Okay, next one.

"Marauders are Sirius' family, and he said he was blindly loyal to them. That must explain his attitude toward me… Of course! I met Regulus first. Her probably doesn't trust me…" She _had_ to figure out some way to get on Sirius' good side.

"Three, nine, 77. Three, nine, 77. Three. Nine. 77. _1977._ Of course, it's a date. 3, 9, 77. The third of September 1977. Eight o'clock at the stairway to heaven…"

Suddenly, it all clicked in her head. Sirius had given her a clue, a direction of some sort. Hermione closed her eyes and ran through numerous possibilities. She dreamed of just what she would find in two days, what she would find at eight o'clock in the Astronomy Tower.

* * *

The woods were dark. Hermione couldn't remember how she had gotten there. She turned around where she stood and tried to remember which way she had come. The bottom of her feet tingled with the brush of the forest floor. She was cold and absentmindedly tried to rub some warmth back into her arms.

A deep growl moved like a wave through the trees. She snapped her head around. Another growl, this time from a different direction. Then, a howl.

All of a sudden, she was running and running and running and running. The trees were growing taller, the sky was growing darker, and the howls were getting closer. The stars in the sky were moving around, darting in and out of each other. Every few seconds, two stars would collide and grow just a bit bigger. The stars collided more and more until they became a single ball of light, big enough to be the moon.

An iron cage enclosed around Hermione, and she fell to her knees. The growling and howling was almost deafening now. Hermione held her hands over her ears and huddled in the center of the cage, too afraid to go near the edges.

Two figures emerged from the darkness on either side of her. On her right, Remus, somehow stuck between wolf and man. On her left, Sirius, as he was when she first met him in her third year, dirty and crazy.

Remus approached her slowly. As he walked, he started to bend forward, and his body shifted to his wolf form. His teeth were sharp and shining and his jaw was dripping in saliva. Hermione crawled as fast as she could to the opposite side of the cage. She looked out into the night for Sirius, but it was too dark.

"Sirius, help me! Help me! Padfoot!"

Sirius finally reappeared in her vision, but this time he was different. _This_ Sirius was younger, _this_ was seventh year Sirius. This Sirius smirked at Hermione, puffed out his cheeks, and blew in her direction. The walls of the cage fell apart, and Hermione was defenseless. Sirius stepped back into the shadows while Moony kept moving closer. He snapped his jaws. Hermione turned away, trying to escape. She screamed just as his fangs met her shoulder.

Hermione awoke with a start. She was covered in a light sweat, and her heart was racing. She took several deep breaths and cast a quick tempus charm.

_4:17 am_

With a groan, Hermione sat up, her head disrupting the gold floating numbers. She pulled herself out of bed and slowly opened up her curtains. She looked around the room to make sure she didn't wake any of her roommates. The room was completely quiet except for the occasional soft snores coming from the direction of Mary MacDonald's bed.

Hermione stepped lightly out of the room and down the stairs into the common room. Shadows were scattered around the room by the faint fire. She glanced up the stairs and moved toward the couch that she, Harry, and Ron had often taken over. She sat down with a deep sigh. Setting her elbows on her knees, she hid her face in her hands. She sighed again.

"Can you stop doing that?"

Hermione looked up with a start to the chair on her right, but with her special new senses, she realized who it was before her eyes did. And for a moment, she saw him as older, and kinder. But then it was gone, and he was seventeen-year-old Sirius again. His body was flung across the chair; his upper body leaning on one arm while a leg was thrown over the other.

"Sirius?"

"Yeah." His voice was rough.

"Couldn't sleep?"

"Something like that." His tone was sarcastic, but Hermione knew when he was putting up a front. She knew this boy had demons, and she knew he wasn't one to share his feelings. She didn't press him and kept silent until he spoke again.

"You?"

"Nightmares. It's a, ugh, recent thing." She didn't really know why she was telling this to Sirius, but when she looked at him she couldn't help remembering the Sirius she had grown to know.

"Oh."

"Yeah." Suddenly, she felt awkward, like she had shared too much.

The two sat still, not talking. Hermione glanced at the object in his lap, the Marauders Map. She looked up and found he was staring at her. She quickly drew her eyes away.

"Um, well, I suppose I'll just leave then." She got to her feet and started to walk away.

"Hey." She turned around, eyes hopeful, mentally scolding herself for turning around so fast.

"Yes."

"Madame Trapner usually keeps some potions for dreamless sleeping in the hospital wing. You should talk to her, you know, if there's anything you need…" He let the sentence hang and held her gaze for just a second before he turned his attention back to the map. His words were comforting for Hermione, but his tone was still cold and distant. She stood there, staring at this boy who had been through so much already and still had so much to face. She smiled sadly before climbing the stairs to her bed.

"Thank you, Sirius."

* * *

**A/N: **As always, thank you for reading. Every time I get a notification of another follow or favorite - you guys just make my day, so thank you.

Much love. -V.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **Enjoy! And please review if you see fit! They really make my day! :D

* * *

**Chapter 13: Familiar Faces and Worn Out Places**

**2 September 1977**

**The Great Hall**

Hermione could count the number of times she slept late at Hogwarts on one hand. She supposed she should have been glad she was able to get some sleep, but it made her a bit uncomfortable and confused that she had slept so well after her nightmare. She didn't want to be comfortable here. It made her feel guilty, like she was hurting Ron and Harry and everyone she had left behind.

When she woke up, Lily and the other girls had already left, but Hermione did find a note left on her trunk. Hermione smiled, thinking back to the note. Lily was truly a kind soul. Her instant acceptance of Hermione was certainly welcome after having to deal with Sirius.

_Didn't want to wake you, but Marlene was getting hungry! We're down in the Great Hall! Come join us for breakfast! __\- Lily_

Hermione bit her lip nervously as she turned the last corner and walked through the doorway into the Great Hall. It was a Friday, but classes had yet to start. The atmosphere was lively and students were everywhere, talking and laughing over their breakfasts. Hermione eyed the professors' table, wishing she could recognize a face. When her eyes fell on Professor McGonagall, she could have cried. She glanced between the professor and Dumbledore and wondered if the headmaster had shared her predicament with McGonagall.

"Hermione!" A voice caught her attention, and Hermione turned to the Gryffindor table. She walked up to the seventh years and sat down.

"Hi, Remus."

"So I see you found the Great Hall." Hermione smiled.

"Well, I figured I wouldn't always have you around to take me to the kitchens, so finding food for myself seemed like a pretty good idea."

Remus laughed, and Hermione looked around. The Gryffindor table was a bit empty; it seemed the first years had already run off to explore the castle. Hermione couldn't see Lily and Marlene, but she no longer felt anxious. She was with Remus. Peter was sitting on Remus' left, and Sirius sat across from Peter next to James. Hermione smiled at the Marauders, and Remus passed her a plate of pancakes.

"Did you sleep alright?" Hermione glanced at Sirius, wondering if his younger self also had a tendency to share her secrets with Remus. Sirius gave her no sign, so she looked back at Remus.

"Um, yes, I slept very well. Thank you."

Sirius made the smallest of sounds as if in protest, and if Hermione hadn't been a werewolf, she wouldn't have heard it. Remus' head turned to Sirius at the same moment as Hermione's. Then, ignoring Sirius, Remus turned back to Hermione. He rubbed his ear as if to ask if she heard Sirius, and Hermione nodded, chuckling. Remus smiled.

"So Hermione, do you like Quidditch?" This time Peter addressed her. Looking at Peter seemed to set off a switch within her. She looked him in the eyes and suddenly had to focus on her control. Her knuckles grew white around her fork as she focused on not inserting it into Peter's flesh. She tightened her jaw, and her fingers twitched. Remus reached for a plate of bacon, and his arm brushed Hermione's. His touch brought her out of her rage, and blinking, she focused back on Peter.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you. What did you say?" Remus raised an eyebrow and smirked, knowing full well she couldn't have helped but hear Peter. She nudged him with her elbow.

"Oh, I just asked if you like Quidditch."

"I have to admit, I'm not really a fan of flying on brooms, but my best friends played so I never missed a match."

"Well I bet they weren't half as good as James! He would've been captain last year if it wasn't for some technicality written in the school rules." Hermione raised an eyebrow and looked at James, who was presently beaming with pride.

"Really? Well, my best friend was the seeker for our team. Got on the team first year." Peter choked on his orange juice.

"You're joking! First year? That's incredible!"

"Blimey, I hope we have some kids that good trying out this year." Hermione felt a rush of pride, as James seemed thoroughly impressed by Harry.

"Oh! Before I forget, has Lily Evans been down here yet? I think I was supposed to meet her for breakfast, but I may have slept to late."

Sirius, Remus, and Peter all groaned at the same time while James just smiled. He ran his fingers through his messy hair and straightened his glasses.

"Don't listen to them. You missed Lily by about fifteen minutes, I think. She and the others were going to the owlery. But they might be back in the Common Room by now."

"Honestly James, you're like her bloody personal assistant. It's creepy, mate."

"Sod off, Padfoot. It's not creepy. We're _friends_, now. It's all good." While James tried to sound upbeat, Hermione could tell that he hated the word "_friends," _especially applied to Lily Evans.

"Ah, yes, and how is that newly budding friendship working out for you?"

"I'll have you know, she hasn't called me Potter yet once this year."

"We've literally been here a day."

"Exactly. Progress!"

The Marauders burst out laughing, and Hermione couldn't help but get sucked into their happiness. But it wasn't long lasted. Sirius' laughter died first, and his eyes darkened. Hermione cocked her head to the side, trying to figure out what had turned Sirius' mood. Then a scent hit her nose, and a face popped into her head.

"Looks like you're all settled in already."

Hermione turned around to see sixteen-year-old Regulus Black. She looked back at Sirius before realizing that Regulus had been speaking to her.

"Oh, um, yes, seems I'm all settled."

"Good."

Regulus and Hermione stared at each other awkwardly for a couple seconds before Sirius cleared his throat.

"Okay, Ignavus, run along to your Dark Lord wannabes."

Regulus' eyes flashed toward Sirius, and just before they were narrowed in his direction, Hermione saw a hint of hurt. She turned around and glared at Sirius. She could sense Regulus walking away. Without another glance at the other three Marauders, Hermione got up and went after Regulus. She was almost to the door when her ears picked up Sirius talking to the boys.

"Well, I think you dodged a bullet, Moony. This one's clearly got bad taste."

If Hermione had been Ginny, she would have hexed Sirius right there in the middle of the Great Hall. But she wasn't Ginny. So instead, she pushed her shoulders back, held her chin up, and followed Regulus.

* * *

"Regulus! Regulus, wait!" Hermione squeezed her way through a couple Hufflepuffs before reaching the Slytherin. She put a hand on his arm and gently turned him toward her.

"What do you want, Gryffindor?"

"It's Hermione actually, Hermione Granger. I-I wanted to thank you. You know, for yesterday."

"Don't mention it. Seriously though, if you want to keep your new _friends_, I wouldn't mention it." Hermione ignored his jab at the Marauders.

"What did Sirius call you? Back there."

"_Ignavus_. It's Latin. He called me a coward."

"I didn't know Sirius knows Latin." Regulus rolled his eyes.

"We're pureblood. Of course we know Latin. That's why he insults me in Latin. It's his way of proving he got out. It's like he's using what our parents taught him against them."

"But you aren't your parents."

"Try telling him that." Regulus started to walk off, but Hermione's hand was still on his arm.

"Regulus."

"Listen, it'll probably be easier for you to make friends in Gryffindor if you aren't seen with me." He motioned with his head around them where several students were quite obviously staring at the unusual pair.

"Don't be ridiculous, Regulus. You can't get rid of me that easily." She patted his arm lightly before looking into his eyes. Regulus' eyes were so much like Sirius'. But where Sirius' had mischief and laughter, Regulus' had walls and ice.

"He still cares about you, you know. He wouldn't be so mean if he didn't care." Regulus only grunted. Hermione gave Regulus one last smile and then turned to head back into the Great Hall.

She looked at the Gryffindor table but couldn't spot the Marauders. Her heart sank a bit, before Remus' scent flooded her system. She smiled and turned to her left.

"Come on. I want to show you something."

* * *

Remus had taken her down past the herbology greenhouses to where a small carriage was waiting. It was the kind she remembered taking from the train station to Hogwarts in past years. Hermione couldn't see the thestrals, but she could hear their heartbeats.

"Remus, what is this?"

"I have to show you something." He opened the door and held out his hand. "Just trust me, Hermione." She smiled and let him help her into the carriage.

"Remus, can you see them? The thestrals?"

"No, thankfully. No I can't. Can you?" Hermione sighed, looked at Remus, and spoke the truth.

"Honestly, at this point, I'm surprised I still can't see them." If Remus was intrigued by her words, he didn't let it show. Instead he began to tell Hermione about all the means of transportation at Hogwarts. Hermione, though obviously familiar with the tradition of the first years taking the boats, listened intensely to Remus. He was falling into what Hermione had often thought of as "Professor Mode." It reminded her of home.

As the path to Hogwarts began to fade, Hermione realized where they were heading. It was barely midmorning, but a heavy set of clouds was settling over Hogsmeade. The sky slipped into greyness, and the temperature dropped. Once the Shrieking Shack came into view, Remus looked expectantly at Hermione, but she was far, far away, seventeen years away in fact. In a way, it felt like she was coming full circle. It was as if, in some twisted way, she was meant to be here. It was important.

The carriage came to a stop, and Hermione and Remus climbed out. The wind had picked up, and several crows were shouting at each other, hidden away in the branches of trees. They were standing at the front door, and Hermione looked up at Remus. How strange it was to stand there with him, in a show of trust, just steps away from where she revealed his secret to Harry.

"It's called the Shrieking Shack. Some Hufflepuff named it a few years ago. It used to belong to the gamekeeper, a long, long time ago. Now, I use it, once a month, every month. And now you can use it, too."

Hermione was quiet. She reached out a hand to touch the door handle, but pulled it away quickly, as if it were made of fire. Remus suddenly got nervous beside her.

"I- I mean, you don't have to, obviously. I just thought that- well, since you've never- I mean-"

"Thank you, Remus." Hermione put a hand on his shoulder and stood up on her toes, kissing Remus on the cheek. Stepping away before she saw the blush sweep over Remus' face, Hermione pushed open the door.

Remus gave her a brief tour of the building, pointing out little improvement he had made as well as things Moony had destroyed. The latter list was much more extensive. The tour ended upstairs in the bedroom, and Hermione steeled herself before walking inside. It was cleaner than she thought it would have been, but she wouldn't have mistaken it for anything. Remus walked over to the bed and kicked some trash under it. He started to speak some more but stopped when he noticed Hermione.

She hadn't noticed, but she had started crying. Tears were silently falling off her cheeks onto the dirty ground below. Remus stepped closer and wiped her left cheek. When Hermione lifted her chin and looked in his eyes, she wished, for the first time, that Remus' eyes would be wiser and older and dimmer. But they weren't. They were young, and bright, and hopeful, and they were looking at her with the most terrible expression of understanding.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. I know it's scary. If you weren't scared we'd have a problem. But I promise you; you're going to be okay. I'll be by your side the whole time. I won't leave you I promise."

Hermione and Remus sat down on the edge of the bed. She was crying into his shoulder, and he had his arms wrapped around her. They stayed there for the longest time, until all of Hermione's tears had dried.

* * *

**A/N: **Yay, Regulus came back! Thank you for reading!

Much Love. -V.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **Your reviews this week have made me so happy! That's exactly why I love to write this. Thank you!

* * *

**Chapter 14: Starry Night**

**3 September 1977**

**The Library**

The next day Hermione waited in the common room for Remus, but none of the Marauders ever showed. So Hermione, for the first time, went reluctantly to the library. She had meant to see what Hogwarts had on werewolves at this time, but she ended up sitting in her favorite corner, curled up with a copy of_ Hogwarts: A History_. She read for a while, looking at each word, each page with sentiment, but after a while, even her favorite book couldn't keep her thoughts away.

Hermione was confused. Talking with Remus… She'd never met anyone so similar to her, so on par with what she was thinking. They were truly so, so similar. She thought she had been close with Remus before, but now… And this Remus was young. So young. So young and bright and hopeful. And the way he looked at her. Every time she looked in his eyes they were so full of relief. And every time Hermione got angry because Remus had sent her here with no explanation, she would remember that relief and forgive him, every single time.

Hermione felt like her emotions were running around unlabeled. She was confused and frustrated and totally unsure of how she felt. She was, after all, a seventeen-year-old girl. Remus was a seventeen-year-old boy. And yes, although she was reluctant to admit it, he was attractive. She couldn't help but admit it. He was ascetically pleasing, and it wasn't her fault that her brain recognized that. It was purely scientific, she told herself.

But it was strange, looking at this boy and remembering the man. Hermione knew Remus was surprised with how quickly she had opened up to him in the Shrieking Shack. They had talked about their childhoods, their parents, basically everything they could talk about that didn't reveal Hermione's secret. Hermione couldn't help but treat Remus with the same respect and understanding that she had always used.

But then on the other hand…

Sure, she and Sirius had had their spats before. Where Remus always agreed with Hermione, Sirius constantly challenged her. The first time she had stayed at Grimmauld Place had certainly not been a vacation. But then he came back- she brought him back, and things had been different. They had both been kinder, more understanding, closer and more caring. But here, Merlin, it was even worse than before.

Every time she caught Sirius' eyes, they were full of suspicion and hesitation and surrounded by walls. He had known her all of two days and couldn't keep her gaze without narrowing his eyes. It tore Hermione up inside, for even as much as Remus got to know her and trust her, she knew she would never be actually accepted by the Marauders until Sirius accepted her.

With a huff, Hermione rose from her seat and walked purposefully out of the library, intent on finding Sirius. _I must be missing dinner again_, she thought as she passed several small waves of students moving to and from the direction of the Great Hall. She cast a quick tempus spell. _7:_50\. Hermione took a moment to consider where best to confront Sirius and decided that finding him at dinner would be easiest. Pivoting on the balls of her feet, Hermione turned around and promptly slammed into another body.

"Watch where you're going."

Shivers ran down her spine as a familiar drawl met her ears. _Snape_. Hermione looked up into the eyes of her future professor and felt small pricks of anger growing from within.

"Still experiencing brain damage, are you?"

Hermione realized she had completely zoned out while staring at Snape. Hermione remembered Harry describing how Snape had appeared in his memory that Harry saw, but Hermione wasn't exactly prepared to see it in reality. She thought back to when Snape and Regulus had first found her, and now she couldn't believe that she hadn't recognized her professor sooner.

"Um, no, I'm much better now, thank you."

"I wasn't asking after your well being," he said matter-of-factly, as if it would be incredulous for him to bother himself to care about another.

"Okay, well fine then." Hermione stepped to the side, eager to part with Snape, and started to walk away before Snape called out to her.

"Good luck with those animals you seem to be becoming friends with. You'll need it. You may not know this yet, but their bite is worse than their bark. At least in Lupin's case."

Hermione whipped around to face Snape, her vision already turning red, but the boy had disappeared in a sea of students.

How dare he speak to her like that? He didn't even know her. He had no right. And to speak about Remus' secret? Hermione knew of the "prank" Sirius had tried to pull and how James had eventually come to Snape's rescue, but still… telling Remus' secret could get him expelled and shunned from fellow students. It would ruin his life.

Hermione started to run. She couldn't tell exactly where she was going, her vision was clouded with angry red spots. She had felt this anger before but not like this, not this strong. The aggression usually tended to come in waves, never staying for long, but it would fade in and out. She couldn't understand exactly where it came from or why. She made a left turn and then a right, opening a door and resting against the frame.

Sirius clearly remembered her from the past, and Remus, too; after all he was the one who basically sent her here. So Professor Snape must remember her, too. Hermione's skin felt like it was on fire. The anger built up from her gut and spread throughout her body, filling her with an overpowering darkness. It stormed within her veins and hardened her gaze. _He_ had terrorized her for years, making her feel laughable for her interest in learning. _He _had called her names, _as a professor_ no less. _He_ had killed Dumbledore. _He _was the reason Dumbledore was dead. _He _was a murderer, a Death Eater. _He _betrayed the Order.

All this aggression, this anger was pent up inside her and she needed to release it. She needed to get rid of it now. Her hands itched and the blood in her veins burned. Anger surged throughout her entire body. She needed to expel this darkness, needed to release it. Hermione, with a firm grip on her wand, turned around looking for something, anything, to obliterate. The door opened suddenly to reveal Sirius.

The two looked at each other for what seemed like an eternity, a pair of deer in headlights. Hermione's face was covered in rage, her jaw tight and eyes wild. Sirius' face, on the other hand, was covered in defeat, eyes tired and knuckles bloody. His hair was a mess, and Hermione could smell firewhisky on his breath.

"What the hell are you doing here?" It was Sirius who spoke first, and the tone of his voice somehow snapped Hermione away from her anger, at least a bit.

"Excuse me?"

"I said, what the hell are you doing here?" Each word was forcefully enunciated.

"I heard you the first time. What, am I not allowed here?" Hermione glanced around quickly trying to gage exactly where she was, as she clearly hadn't been paying attention on her way. It took her just a moment to recognize where she was – the Astronomy Tower.

"Not tonight."

"What?"

"Seriously, Granger, back off." Hermione stepped back at the sound of her last name. It hurt her more than she realized that Sirius had used it instead of her first name. Sirius pushed to get past her, and as he moved the light shifted. Hermione could see his tired eyes rimmed in red, his eyelashes wet. Sirius Black had been crying.

Hermione reached out a hand to grab his arm. He was too far away so she grabbed his hand instead. Relief fell across Hermione's shoulders when Sirius didn't immediately pull away.

"Sirius, wait. Please." Slowly, the Marauder turned to face Hermione. "I know that you don't trust me, and I understand, I really do. But I'm- I'm going to prove to you I can be trusted, I promise." She smiled weakly. Sirius huffed and looked away, his hand starting to slip from Hermione's. Hermione moved closer and tightened her grip.

"Sirius, I know what it's like, a bit. To feel alone. And well, just…" She sighed and looked away from his face, careful not to let her emotions show. "If there's anything you need…"

Hermione fell silent, and a few seconds ticked by before she felt Sirius' hand slip from hers. She stepped back and slid down the wall to sit on the floor as she listened to his footsteps until they completely faded away. Hermione sat their for a while, counting the seconds in her breaths until the last of her anger had ebbed and she was left with an uncomfortable calm.

"It's not your fault." Hermione looked up into the eyes of Regulus Black.

"What?"

"It's not your fault. Not tonight at least. It's his birthday."

"Oh."

"Our mother burned him off the tapestry."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Regulus moved to sit beside Hermione. His hand moved and pulled something from his pocket. He pulled back a couple napkin layers and handed a mini Shepherd's Pie to Hermione. She accepted the food but looked at him questioningly.

"You missed dinner, didn't you?"

She looked at the face of Regulus Black, and her heart hurt. He was just a kid, and yet Hermione could see the faint outline of the Dark Mark through his long sleeve shirt. She turned her eyes away from his arm to look at his face. Regulus looked positively morose.

"Why was he up here? I would have thought he would have been with James and the others."

"I'm sure he was with them earlier, but this has become sort of a ritual for him, I think."

"What, coming to the Astronomy Tower?"

"You know the Blacks are all named after stars? Well, most of us anyway. Sirius, the star, is in Canis Major; it's the brightest star in the sky." He pointed to himself and laughed dryly. "Regulus is in Leo. Ironic, right?"

"So, he comes up here because…?"

"I don't know. He was talking to our uncle Alphard for a while. He died recently, but he and Sirius were close. Then he just sat up here in silence, every now and then punching the wall. I- I think he comes up here to feel connected to the stars. He knows how to pick out every star our family members are named after. I think he looks at them and pretends they're his family."

"That's, that's… that's so sad." Regulus shrugged.

"Anyway, just know it wasn't you who pissed him off today."

"Why were you up here?"

"It's his birthday; I'm his brother. I didn't let him see me, but I just wanted to be there, you know."

"Regulus, how do I get him to trust me? How do I get him to like me?" Regulus smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"If you find out, let me know."

The two sat there without speaking. Hermione ate her Shepherd's Pie, and Regulus picked at a loose thread on his pants. When Hermione finished eating, the two rose to their feet in silence. They walked out of the tower and started to go their separate ways.

"Hermione?"

"Yeah?"

"Something tells me you're going to be good for him."

* * *

**Gryffindor Common Room**

When Hermione returned to the Common Room, the Marauders had finally returned. Hermione started coughing as she approached them, the strong smell of firewhisky assaulting her heightened senses. She raised an eyebrow at Remus, who just flashed a winning smile. She paused in her steps, wondering if Sirius would be all right with her presence. The Marauder in question took a deep breath and then whipped his head to glare at Hermione. He then looked between Hermione and Remus before sighing exasperated.

"Really?" He looked at Remus who looked totally confused. Sirius nudged his head toward Hermione and wrinkled his nose. "Really?"

Remus tried to sniff subtly and raised his eyes to Hermione. He then looked at Sirius.

"Is there a problem, mate?"

"_You_ don't have a problem?"

"Should I have a problem?"

Sirius turned away from Remus and looked at Hermione instead.

"Really? Both?" His tone was accusatory, but Hermione was completely baffled. Peter and James were looking between the three, faces scrunched as they tried to make sense of the situation. Sirius sighed again and rose from his chair. He went up the stairs to the boys' dorm, only waving a hand when the others called back for him.

Hermione stared at his empty seat before deciding better and taking the chair next to James. All three Marauders looked at her with questioning eyes. She threw her hands up.

"I have no idea what just happened."

"You have absolutely no idea why he just flipped out like that?" Remus looked at Hermione with his professor face, the one that always made her want to be a truthful and kind person.

"Okay, I may have run into Sirius in the Astronomy Tower a while ago."

The three Marauders looked between each other before collectively relaxing. It seemed Hermione's answer was sufficient enough for them not to worry about Sirius. Hermione looked up at the stairs Sirius had just disappeared through.

"Shouldn't someone go after him?"

"Believe me, we've tried. It's better for all of us this way. None of us get a fist to the nose, and Sirius gets to save face."

"But it's his birthday."

"We know." This time Peter spoke up, smiling with a mischievous grin. "Where do you think we were all day?" The Marauders laughed and the air became thick with the spicy scent of firewhisky. Hermione crinkled her nose and stood up.

"Well, I'm off to bed before I happen to get drunk off the fumes." She nodded to the boys and left the room, leaving the slightly tipsy Marauders behind. And as Hermione walked away, what had become a familiar mantra paraded through her mind.

_Three, seven, 77. Eight o'clock at the stairway to heaven._

That was it. That was the moment Sirius had told her about, their run-in in the Astronomy Tower. But what was so special about that?

* * *

**A/N:** Ah, a run in with Severus. More Regulus! Hope you guys are enjoying reading as much as I'm enjoying writing! Please review so I can get feedback. Tell me what you love, what you hate, what you want to see more of. And as always, thank you so much for taking the time to read.

Much Love. -V.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **Wow! The reviews since last chapter... you guys make me so happy. You all are the reason I write. Thank you.

**Comic Critic**: In defense of my portrayal of Snape - You have to remember Snape (as Professor Snape) was pretty horrible to Hermione (as well as other students), and Hermione hasn't forgotten this. From her perspective, he's just killed Dumbledore and fooled the Order of the Phoenix. From his perspective, she's just arrived; she's the new girl. She _should_ be an outcast, but she's not. She's befriending Lily and the Marauders _and_ Regulus. And that resonates with Severus. He's jealous. So yes, he's going to seem like a bit of a git, but he has his reasons. And Hermione is sure not going to give him a reason to be nice to her.

**daniella2cool**: In defense of Sirius being a bit of an ass - He was raised in a prejudice household. Being raised like that from such a young age, it takes time to completely change his ways, so Sirius is still quick to judge. As he told Hermione in 1997, the Marauders are his family. With Hermione coming and becoming so close to Remus so fast, it makes him nervous. He's protective and loyal to a fault. (Can you tell that's my favorite way to describe him?) And her relationship with Regulus certainly doesn't make Sirius want to try to get to know her. In a way, each time he's rude or distant to Hermione, it's as if he's treating her as if she were Regulus.

* * *

**Chapter 15: Approaching the Fan**

**15 September 1977**

**The Library**

She was in the library again. It always seemed to happen, no matter where she was – Hogwarts in the 90s, Grimmauld Place, Hogwarts in the 70s. Always the library. It made her smile. At least _she_ was constant.

Two weeks, she had been there two weeks. She could barely believe it. And although she was constantly reminded of what she left behind- no, who she left behind, she found herself falling into a routine. Each morning she would go to breakfast with Lily, Marlene, Mary, and Dorcas. Some days she chatted with them, letting them catch her up on the Hogwarts gossip. But other days she would scoot over, just a bit, and sit with the Marauders.

She liked being close to Remus, physically close. It calmed her, especially whenever Snape was near. Hermione was constantly thinking of ways to touch Remus without seeming completely clingy and crazy. He quickly caught on, much to her embarrassment, but he seemed to understand and never hesitated to take her hand whenever her heart rate got out of control.

Both werewolves seemed to be benefiting extremely from each other's presence. Remus was losing his pallor and bulking up, his face finally gaining the youthful glow of a seventeen-year-old boy. And Hermione on the other hand, well truthfully she probably would have looked better if she had actually been sleeping.

When she was back in 1997, she had stopped having nightmares about the night Moony bit her, but apparently being in 1977 triggered them again. Her dreams were always different, though. She never dreamed about the actual event; it was always something different. But two things always remained constant. The first was Moony, always primed for the bite. The image of Moony with his jaw open, fangs bared, was permanently cemented in her mind. It was terrifying for sure, especially in her dreams, but it was the second constant that kept her up at night. She always called out for Sirius, for Padfoot, just as she had in 1997, and each time, without fail, the younger Sirius showed up and refused to help her. Every damn time.

So every night, Hermione found herself tiptoeing out of her dormitory to the common room. She had run into Sirius a couple of times, but after the fourth or fifth time, he stopped showing up. And judging by the dark circles under his eyes, it wasn't because he was sleeping. Hermione was hurt, but honestly grateful. It had been hard, waking up from a nightmare where Sirius didn't save her only to run into him seconds later. Plus, when she was alone in the common room she could pretend she was home, and Ron and Harry were asleep upstairs.

She would stay up for a couple of hours, reading or working ahead on school work, until she felt ready to go back to sleep. And then each morning, she would go down to breakfast with the girls, as if nothing had happened. Lily had noticed, obviously, but when she asked Hermione, Hermione had just brushed it off as her adjusting to a new environment. Lily didn't bring it up again, but she silently decided to keep an eye on Hermione.

Classes were a bit strange for Hermione. For the most part, she had learned everything set for the seventh year students. It made sense. She was twenty years ahead; times had changed.

The most startling difference, however, was Defense Against the Dark Arts. It seemed the curriculum before the war was actually more advanced than the curriculum after. Despite the students of the seventies having a new professor each year much like Hermione, their material actually followed a path and made sense. Hermione was pleasantly surprised.

Professor Danila Novikov was impressive to say the least. Honestly, if it hadn't been for the DA, Hermione would be behind the seventh years. Apparently, dueling examinations had been a requisite since fourth year, and defensive spells were heavily stressed.

Seeing professors made Hermione uneasy. She had class with Professor McGonagall and Slughorn, among others. It was confusing. The professors clearly knew her in this time – she had been officially introduced to each one. But none of the professors she had met in her time had expressed recognition in her years at Hogwarts. How could Remus and Sirius remember her and not the professors?

Gone were the days when Hermione would eagerly attempt to answer every question and prove her knowledge. This time around, Hermione felt compelled to stay in the shadows. She sat close to the wall and never in the first row. It was one thing getting to know the Marauders and Lily, who she felt she knew at least a bit, but Hermione felt strange about making an impression on strangers in this time.

All in all though, Hermione found herself relaxed in class. While she would have preferred learning new things and spending her time as she had before, studying and reading in her free time. She had more pressing matters to occupy her mind.

The Marauders for one. Her relationship with Remus had easily slid into a comfortable friendship. When she talked with Remus, she almost had to remind herself that he was different, not the same. When she was with him she felt like she was home again. James and Peter had readily accepted her as well. It seemed her friendship with Remus seemed enough to convince them she was worthy of their friendship as well.

Sirius, on the other hand... Ugh, that boy frustrated her to no end. Okay, yes, he had grown up in a heavily prejudiced atmosphere. He was basically raised to _not_ trust people. She couldn't fault him for that. But she thought that six years with the Marauders would have fixed him. Apparently not. He wasn't outright rude to her, but it was the little things he would do that cut her down. He never sat beside her, never talked directly to her, never let himself be alone with her, and he always kept a watch on her out of the corner of his eye. Hermione tried to talk with him, let him get to know her, but it seemed he was steeled in his decision to deny her. And it certainly didn't help she was spending time with Regulus.

She had found Regulus' study spot in the library on accident. She had been searching for a book of time travel incidents when she turned a corner and saw him. Hidden away by the History of Magic books, Regulus was sitting at a desk, sketching. She didn't approach him for two days, always sitting on the floor a row over, separated by a wall of books. On the third day, she had been once again sitting on the floor when an enchanted paper airplane floated over to her.

The paper was a rough sketch of Hermione as she was, sitting on the floor and reading, as viewed through the gaps in a bookshelf. Regulus had written a message on the bottom in perfect pureblood calligraphy. _To: Hermione_

On the next day and the days that followed, Hermione sat with Regulus. She studied with him and read all the time travel and lycanthropy books she could find. Regulus studied, but more often than not he was sketching, drawing in the margins of his schoolbooks or loose pieces of parchment. Sometimes he sketched the library architecture; sometimes it was facial features, unknown eyes and lips and noses. And sometimes he drew Hermione. They didn't talk much, but it seemed to work for them.

Now, she found herself once again sitting with Regulus. He was waving a hand in front of her face. She blinked twice and waited for her eyes to readjust.

"Sorry, what?"

"I was just telling you dinner is starting soon," he said, whispering. He cocked his head to the side, looking at her with wonder. "Where do you go?"

"What do you mean?" She set her book down, careful to cover the title with her arm.

"You spend half your time here somewhere else. I was just wondering where you went?"

"Oh." Regulus patiently waited for her to answer. "I was just thinking about how different it is here. I never imagined my seventh year to be like this."

"You miss your friends." He said it matter-of-factly.

"Yes, I miss my friends."

"Do you write them?"

"I – I can't talk to them. It's complicated." This time Regulus was silent. He reached for her right hand and squeezed it lightly before slipping a piece of paper under the cover of her book. He looked as if he wanted to say something more, but instead gathered his belongings, nodded to Hermione, and left. She sighed and watched him leave.

"You shouldn't be doing that," a slick voice called to her as a body moved into line of vision. Hermione narrowed her eyes.

"Were you spying on me?"

"You're a Gryffindor. Didn't your little friends explain this to you? You can't have both."

"I don't need anyone to tell me who I can and can't be friends with." Snape huffed.

"Clearly. Just look at who you've picked out so far. The dynamic duo, the lemming, and the monster." Hermione's eyes widened. This was the second time he had referenced Remus' lycanthropy to her.

"What did you just say?" Snape smirked, before his face softened. His tone grew serious, as if he was honestly trying to warn Hermione.

"They're not gods you know. Everyone thinks they're so great, but they're just petulant children who don't understand consequences."

Hermione's heart rate picked up. She stood up.

"Listen, Pro- Snape," Hermione barely caught herself. "I don't think they're perfect. I _know_ they're flawed. But don't call _him_ a monster, when you're capable of the exact same thing."

She quickly grabbed her books. Her knuckles turned white against them.

"Ha, I'm not capable of half the destruction he is."

Hermione used all her strength to keep her mouth shut and push past Snape. His nerve was incredible. Hermione's free hand was clenched in a fist around her wand. Her fingernails were digging into her palm, her skin pricking with pain. She exited the library and started toward Gryffindor Tower. She needed to find Remus.

Ten steps later, and Hermione found herself on the floor, book everywhere. She crawled on the floor as another body helped her pick up her belongings. A familiar scent flushed her senses.

"Honestly!?" Hermione questioned the world under her breath. As they stood, Sirius' face recovered from his initial shock of running into her. It relaxed for a moment before it hardened again. He handed her the book he had picked up. Hermione was breathing heavy, her face was flushed and her heart was beating out of her chest. She looked disheveled.

"Where's Remus, Sirius?" She didn't have the patience to deal with Sirius' immaturity at the moment.

"What? Really? You-" Hermione had stowed her wand and held up her right hand.

"No, Sirius, I don't have time. Where is Remus?"

Sirius grabbed her wrist and stared at it, breathing in. He then looked her in the eyes.

"Done with my brother then?"

"Excuse me?" Sirius released her wrist. His eyes flitted to the books in her left hand. He grabbed at the piece of paper sticking out of one. His eyes flooded with recognition, and he turned his wrist to show her. Regulus had sketched her again.

"Remus deserves better than that." Sirius shoved the paper in his pocket and brushed past Hermione.

Hermione's jaw dropped. Did- did Sirius just suggest… No, he couldn't honestly think that… Could he?

Hermione turned around to see James approaching Sirius. James held up a hand for a high five, but Sirius just shrugged and passed him. James looked confused until his eyes passed over to Hermione. With question marks in his eyes, he approached her.

"What just happened?"

"I- I honestly don't know." James put an arm around Hermione's shoulders.

"You okay, Granger?" Looking up at James, Hermione's emotions took a complete 180. The thrums of anger diverted into waves of sadness and distress. Hermione moved to the wall and slid down to the floor. James stood over her, clearly unsure of what to do.

Hermione's breathing was shallow and her mind was running. She saw that rope in her mind, and it was falling apart. Tears started to emerge in her eyes.

"Whoa, whoa, Hermione, are you okay? What happened?"

"I. Can't. Believe. Him." Each word was punctuated by a sharp inhale.

"Who? Sirius?"

"Remus."

"Wait, what?" Tears were falling faster now down her cheeks. James looked around the hallway, which was mainly empty thanks to it being dinner time. Hermione was staring at her hands. "Hermione what did Remus do?"

"I can't believe he did this alone. I can't believe he's done this for so long, all alone. I can't believe he survived this." James backed up a bit, staring at Hermione.

"Hermione, what are you talking about." Hermione kept talking, unable to stop the words coming out of her mouth.

"No one understands him. He was so young, so, _so young_. And alone, for so many years, oh my god."

James was starting to panic. Hermione was crying and talking and her words were getting muddled in her quick breaths. James looked around. He noticed her books forgotten on the floor. He picked up one in particular and dropped it as if it were on fire.

"Hermione, look at me." She raised her head to look Harry's father in the eyes. Light streaming in from the window glinted off the shiny title letters of the book James had just held. _Lycanthropy: The Beast and Being_.

"What do you know?"

When Hermione spoke, the full weight of her word was lost on James.

"Everything."

* * *

**A/N:** I'm kind of really obsessed with this chapter. It came out so fast and I'm pretty pleased with it. Sorry for the heavy narration at the beginning, but I need to start moving through weeks and mundane events more quickly. Otherwise this story is going to be a million chapters. Let me know what you guys think!

Oh also, the title is in reference to the saying "the shit is hitting the fan." *Professor Quirrell voice* Just thought you ought to know.

Much Love! -V.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **I felt I needed to add a little more of the girls in this chapter. I find the girls are harder to write, so please be gentle in your critiques. Thanks for sticking around!

* * *

**Chapter 16: It's Not Lying. It's Omission. **

**15 September 1977**

**A Broom Cupboard**

_"Hermione, look at me." She raised her head to look Harry's father in the eyes. Light streaming in from the window glinted off the shiny title letters of the book James had just held. __Lycanthropy: The Beast and Being__. _

_"What do you know?"_

_When Hermione spoke, the full weight of her word was lost on James._

_"Everything."_

* * *

James grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the nearest broom cupboard. He pushed her inside and pulled the door sharply behind them. Hermione tried to pull away, but James' grip was too strong.

"James, let go of me. You're hurting me."

James ignored her, grabbed her other arm and looked directly at her.

"Hermione, what do you know? What do you know about Remus?"

"More than you," Hermione spat back, annoyed that James was being so rough with her.

"This isn't a joke, Hermione. This is my best friend. Tell me right now, what do you know?"

"I know he's a werewolf, alright! Are you happy?" James released Hermione quickly and stepped back. He ran his hands through his hair once, twice, three times, before looking back at her. Hermione was waiting patiently, but was eager to have this moment over with. She opened her mouth to speak again, but suddenly James was in front of her, his fingers once more clamped around her arms.

"You can't tell anyone. **Ever**. This isn't some silly game for him. This isn't a way you can get closer to him. This is his life, and you can't tell anyone."

Hermione opened her mouth to speak when the door suddenly opened. Hermione looked past James' shoulder and her muscles immediately lost tension. James noticed the change in her demeanor and turned around.

"Remus."

"Um, what's going on? I've got Sirius in a huff, telling me Hermione wants to talk, and you've got her in a broom closet…" His voice trailed off as he noticed the position James and Hermione were in. "Wait, no actually, what the hell is going on?"

James looked down at his hands around Hermione's arms. His fingertips were red with pressure and his knuckles were white. He released Hermione and stepped closer to Remus, almost shielding him from Hermione. Remus felt a stirring in his chest and before he knew it, he had moved from behind James to shield Hermione.

James looked confused and a little hurt at Remus' move. Hermione looked up at Remus, relief flooding her system, as she felt comfortably safe once again. And Remus looked positively confused. He pushed the wolf within aside and raised an eyebrow at Hermione.

"Remus, he knows." Remus' other eyebrow shot up to meet its partner.

"What? He knows?"

"Yes," Hermione chose her words very carefully, her eyes boring into Remus'. "He knows I know about _your_ condition."

Realization swept over Remus' face. "Oh. Oh!"

James turned around to face Remus.

"Wait, you know she knows? How do you know she knows? No, wait, how does _she_ know?"

"I know how to recognize one."

"You've been here two weeks. How did you figure it out so fast?"

"I lived with a werewolf before- before coming here."

"Wait, you lived with him?" This time Remus spoke. Hermione shot him a look that clearly said _not now_.

"Yes," she said, turning back to James. "He was a mentor to me, and I greatly respected him."

"So you, you lived with a werewolf-" Hermione cut James off.

"Yes, so I understand what Remus is going through, and I don't have a problem with it. I'm not going to tell anyone." She pushed past Remus and James into the warm light of the hallway. She turned back to speak to them before pivoting on her heel and walking away. "Now, I'm going to dinner. You both are welcome to join, though at this point, it's no matter to me."

James and Remus stood looking at each other for a few seconds before Remus shrugged and loped off, following Hermione. James blinked, rubbed his eyes, and furrowed his brow. It was taking his mind a second to catch up with everything that had just transpired. He shook his head and then jogged to catch up with Remus.

Remus was still well behind Hermione when James reached him seconds later. The werewolf nodded but didn't look at James.

"So she knows."

"She knows."

"How long?"

"A while."

"And you're okay with that?" Remus nodded and couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah, I'm okay with it. I- I never really thought I'd meet a girl who gets it, but she does."

"She really cares about you, you know. That's what started all of this. I found her crying. She was crying over you, kept going on and on about how she couldn't believe you survived for so long all alone." Remus felt his heart jump at James' words and immediately his face flushed. He glanced at James to see if he had noticed, but he was busy staring at his shoes.

"What she said, I guess I never really thought of it before. I always thought, with us there, well, it made a difference."

"You all _do_ make a difference." James waved a hand to brush off Remus.

"I know we make a difference, but… I dunno. I guess I just forget that you have to deal with it all the time."

"Yeah."

The two boys walked in silence. They reached the Great Hall and stopped just outside the doors. They both watched as Hermione walked confidently down the tables to sit beside Lily. Remus made a move toward the Gryffindor tables, but James grabbed his arm.

"Do you like her, Moony?"

"Hermione? Of course."

"No, I mean do you _like_ her, Remus?" Remus blushed and looked back at Hermione, wondering if she could hear them. He tried not to think about it.

"I- I don't know. I think so. Maybe." James nodded.

"Okay, so you like her. Now with that in mind, you really need to think about this question." James had that look of complete seriousness he always got whenever he wanted to show his friends he really cared. He wore this look when he talked to Sirius about his family, or Peter about his grades, or Remus about his lycanthropy.

"Do you _trust_ her?"

There was a long pause. Remus looked again at Hermione. He could have sworn he heard a heartbeat quicken, but he wasn't sure. Merlin, it was probably his. He looked somber and pensive for a few seconds and then answered James.

"Yeah, I really do."

In an instant, James immediately lightened up, clapped Remus on the shoulder, and started to guide him toward the dinner table.

"Well then, I trust you, so I trust her, too."

"Really, that's it?"

"Yes, Moony, that's it. I trust you, and if you trust her then it's no question."

"Okay, then."

* * *

**Gryffindor Common Room**

Sirius couldn't believe it. He really couldn't believe it. He had sent Remus to find Hermione, hoping she's have to tell him the truth, and… But now! Now, they looked closer than ever. And James, too. Something had happened between the three of them, something Sirius hadn't planned, and it had completely ruined everything.

The Marauders and Hermione were sitting by the windows in the Common Room. Hermione and Remus were working on a potions essay. James was trying to as well, but he kept getting distracted by the pretty redhead on the other side of the room. Every now and then, Remus would thump James over the head to bring him back down to earth. Sirius stared at Hermione, ignoring Peter who was currently kicking his butt in chess.

_It didn't make any sense._ Sirius was beside himself confused. _Remus should have smelled Regulus on her. I don't have half his senses, and even I can tell she's been with him doing Merlin knows what…_

"Sirius!" Sirius blinked twice, his eyes regaining focus. Someone was talking to him.

"Huh?"

"Can you stop staring at me." It was Hermione. Sirius felt himself blush against his will but covered quickly. He rolled his eyes and turned back to the chess game in front of him. He moved a piece nonchalantly, mentally kicking himself as he watched his knight get clobbered by Peter's piece seconds later. Hermione rolled her eyes and turned back to her essay.

"Um, Hermione?" She picked her head up again, this time turning to James who somehow had managed to look away from Lily.

"Yes, James?"

"Can I talk to you? In, uh, in private?" Hermione closed her textbook and stood up. She and James walked over to a pair of chairs closer to the fire. James looked back at his friends. Both Remus and Sirius were stretching their necks out trying to hear better.

"On second thought maybe we should go for a walk." Hermione followed his gaze to the boys and chuckled, leading James out of the portrait. Hermione followed James through the hallway into a deserted corridor.

"Um, is it okay that we're out here? I mean it's after curfew." James smiled that mischievous smile of his.

"Head boy, remember? As long as you're with me you'll be fine."

It was moments like these that Hermione really saw Harry in James. Behind his messy hair and glasses, he really was so much like Harry. Or, Harry was so much like him.

"Listen, Hermione. I just, well, I wanted to apologize for earlier. I shouldn't have attacked you like that. I'm sorry."

"No, James, it's okay. Really. I would have done the same thing. I'm just glad Remus had friends who care about him that much."

"We're a family. It's a bit complicated, but we're a family."

"I understand. Back- back home, my friends at school were basically my family. I'm muggleborn, and my parents had trouble relating to me after I went off to school. They tried, really hard, but it's was difficult, especially with everything I got into at school."

"Why, Hermione? Are you suggesting you're a troublemaker?"

"No, no, more like my best friend was a trouble _finder_."

"Ha, like what?"

"Do you want to hear about the troll in our first year or the time we broke out of school?"

"Both. Obviously both."

James and Hermione sat in the archway as Hermione recounted some of the finer parts of her Hogwarts career, careful to leave out names and specifics. She told James about the two boys who saved her from a troll and became her best friend. She told him about the time she punched a bully in the face in her third year. She told him breaking out of school on the backs of thestrals.

"Wait? Thestrals? What are those?" Hermione stopped talking for a moment, quickly realizing where their conversation was headed.

"They're a bit like horses, but they're winged and bony. You have them here at Hogwarts. They pull the carriages"

"Really? How come I've never seen them?"

"Thestrals are only visible to those who have witnessed death." She waited for her words to sink in.

"So, so you can see them."

"No." Hermione shook her head. "But my best friend, he could, and another friend I had, she could see them as well."

"You keep talking about them in the past, like they're not here anymore." Hermione looked away from James and focused on the cuff of her sweater. James mentally smacked himself and put his arm around Hermione. "Hey, hey, I'm sorry. You don't have to talk about it."

"No, actually I think I should." Hermione took a deep breath, sniffed in, and wiped her eyes. She drew a hand up toward her neck to rest it over her chest where the moonstone necklace sat. "Before I came here, I- I didn't think I'd get to attend my seventh year. I was living with my best friends and two, um, two of our mentors, I guess."

"The werewolf?"

"Yeah, he was one of our mentors." Hermione sighed. "I didn't really have a choice in leaving, in coming here. I don't even know if _they_ know I'm here… I don't even know if they're okay."

James was in shock. He had heard the occasional story of the darkness rising in the world- and his parents had tried to explain to him what was going on - but he had never met anyone who was directly affected.

"Hermione, I had no idea. We had no idea."

"I know. And um, don't tell anyone, okay? I'm not really the type who likes to be worried about."

"Well, you'll just have to get over that." James suddenly perked up. Hermione turned to face him.

"What?"

"You can't just go through seventh year without a family."

"Yes, I can. I don't really have a choice."

"You're right, you don't have a choice. I'm adopting you."

"You're adopting me?"

"Yep!"

"You can't adopt me. I'm pretty sure I'm older than you."

"Doesn't matter. You're adopted." Hermione narrowed her eyes at James.

"What does that mean exactly." James dropped the act and got serious.

"It means that I'll be there for you, Hermione. It means you've got someone to lean on. I got you." Hermione looked up into Harry's face, at Harry's hair, his smile.

"You have no idea what that means to me."

* * *

**Seventh Year Girls Dormitory**

The second Hermione and James walked back into the common room, Marlene McKinnon made a beeline for Hermione. She smiled sweetly at James before whisking Hermione up the stairs to their shared room. She led Hermione toward Lily's bed where the other seventh year girls had gathered. All four girls were staring at Hermione.

"Um, what's going on?"

"We were going to ask you the same thing." Marlene popped out her hip and crossed her arms. Lily chuckled at her friend.

"Marlene, down girl." She turned to Hermione and gestured to the other three girls. "They saw you with James."

"Okay?"

"They have this stupid thing about him and me."

"It's not stupid, Lil. It's real, and you freaking know it." Lily shot a look at Marlene.

"It is stupid. Anyway, they saw you with him and wanted to know what you were doing."

"Doing?" Hermione asked. This time, Dorcas responded, or rather just made kissing noises. Hermione choked on a laugh.

"I'm sorry, what? Is this seriously what you all do all day? You think I like James? _James_?"

"I told you it was Remus." Hermione looked over at Mary as her eyes bugged out.

"Okay, no, no, no. I'm not doing _anything_ with _anybody_. Ever! James and I were just talking, that's it."

Lily smiled at Hermione and then looked at her friends.

"See, I told you."

"Oh, hop off it, Lil. We know you were just as worried as us." Lily blushed and the other girls giggled, which only made Lily blush more.

"I don't- I don't care what James Potter does in his free time-" Marlene cut her off.

"As long as it's not someone you know!" Lily swatted out a hand at Marlene.

"I don't like him!" Hermione's head was whipping between the two girls.

"Lil. Lil, Lil, Lil. Oh, sweet Lily."

"Marlene."

"You've been fighting this attraction for too long, since the second quidditch match fifth year, I think it was. Honestly, it's time, sweetie." Lily's jaw dropped.

"Wha- How?"

"Sweetie, you're not really smooth about it." Lily's face now matched her hair.

"I'm- I'm not?" Lily sat down in between Mary and Dorcas. Dorcas turned her body to face Lily.

"Well, obviously _he_ can't see it, but we can. Seriously, Lily, it's time for you two to get together. It's seventh year! Who knows if you'll ever see each other again after we leave."

This seemed to resonate with Lily. She paled quite a bit and looked at each girl, before sighing.

"Okay, I like him. Ugh, I like him. A lot. Like _a lot_ a lot." Mary squealed. Dorcas and Marlene cheered. Lily looked at the girls, and her smile grew to mischievous heights.

"So what are we going to do about it?"

The girls talked late into the night about anything and everything they had ever read about boys. Hermione, who usually was never one for these girly talks, was actually enthralled. After hearing everything about James and Lily, here she was, getting a front row seat to their growing relationship.

As the girls talked, Hermione came to a realization. This wasn't her world. She had been so focused on herself and what was happening to her that she forgot the main thing Dumbledore had told her. Everything that happened here had already happened in her time. This wasn't _her_ time to worry about cause and effect. She knew the causes _and_ the effects. This was Lily's time, and Marlene's, and Mary's, and Dorcas', and the Marauders'. All her time spent reading up on time travel and werewolves was a waste. She wasn't going to leave until it was her time to leave. So for now, she would focus on who actually mattered at this point in time – the people who belonged here.

Hermione grabbed a pillow and tucked it under her chin, smiling as she listened to Marlene repeating what she had heard James telling Peter about Lily.

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, in defense of Sirius (because I feel like this might come up), he's totally confused right now. He thinks he knows what's going on with Hermione, but he's blinded when it comes to his brother. And he doesn't understand why his friends don't see it as well. Now that James and Hermione have had a moment, Sirius is kind of losing it_. _He's not trying to be a prat, but he's a bit blinded right now. But have no fear, "a few chosen words and a well-placed right hook" are coming soon!

Questions? Comments? Concerns? I'd love to hear from you all!

Much Love! -V.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **Another update! So soon! Ah, but it comes with some bad(ish) news. I'm going on a short vacation, so chapter 18 might take a while. Not too long I hope, but I just wanted to give you all a heads up. Thank you for reading and please review!

* * *

**Chapter 17: Spilling the Beans (or Why You Shouldn't Tell Peter Secrets)**

**22 September 1977**

**Potions Class**

_Remus, stop taking notes._

_I'm shocked! No, I'm disappointed! No notes, Hermione? What is the world coming to?_

_Knock it off, Remus. I have something serious to tell you._

_What?_

_I want to tell the Marauders. About me._

Remus looked up from the note Hermione had passed him. They were currently sitting side by side in potions class while Professor Slughorn lectured about the multiple uses of fluxweed. Hermione and Remus were initially pleased to have been assigned seats next to each other in class, but it had soon turned out to be a bit of trouble. Sure the two Gryffindors were extremely bright, but two werewolves dealing with pungent potions often had less than desirable results. Remus looked up at Slughorn, who was busy writing on the chalkboard at the front of the room, before turning to Hermione.

"What? You're going to tell them?" He was whispering, but his tone was still strong. And with Hermione's heightened hearing, it sounded like Remus was at normal volume.

"They already know about you, Remus. They're going to figure _me_ out sooner or later. And I hate hiding from people."

"You have me though. You can wait to tell them." Hermione smiled at Remus.

"And you have no idea how much that I appreciate you, but it would be nice to have three more people on my side, to not have to hide a part of myself from them." Remus sighed and looked back up to the front of the classroom. Hermione stared at him until he spoke again, never taking his eyes off Slughorn.

"You're right, I'm sorry, that was a bit selfish. Of course you want to tell them. I support you, Hermione."

"Thank you, Remus." Hermione let out the breath she didn't know she was holding. She needed Remus to support her. She had stretched the truth a bit, but it was necessary. She wasn't supposed to know the other Marauders were Animagi.

The full moon was fast approaching and Hermione was getting nervous. On the one hand, she was petrified with fear. She had no idea what to expect. Remus still hadn't opened up about his first moon. And not only that, but this moon would be totally different for both of them. Moony was accustomed to being alone. What would happen when another wolf joined?

That's why Hermione decided to tell the Marauders. Initially, she wanted to wait until she had a moon under her belt, but the fear of what _could_ happen outweighed any embarrassment she thought she would face. She wanted the Marauders there. She wanted Prongs and Padfoot and even Wormtail there, just in case.

So on the one hand, she was terrified, but…

Part of her, a small part of her, was dying for it to be the full moon already. This small part of her was actually looking forward to it. Why? Well, a full moon equals more control, and Hermione definitely needed that.

Just in the past few days, she had snapped at Peter during Transfiguration, twice, almost cried at dessert, and awkwardly passed out in Charms after a tough night of nightmares. It was true though, Hermione could control herself a bit more now. Her mood swings and emotions weren't as strong and didn't last as long, but now they were just random, sneaking up on her at the worst possible times. And they left her looking forward to the scariest moment of her life.

* * *

**Gryffindor Common Room**

The rest of the day passed in a blur. All Hermione could think about was how she was going to tell the Marauders, how they would take it, and what that meant for the future. Hermione, lost in her mind, fell into autopilot and moved through the day like a ghost. Hermione was so caught up in her thoughts, she was actually surprised to find herself in her usual seat on the couch in the common room after classes. Despite creating a new routine for 1977 where she tended joined Regulus in the library after classes, she had fallen into her old habits.

Back at Hogwarts with Harry and Ron, she had usually followed the two back to the common room after classes, attempted to do work, and eventually made her way to the library. So when Hermione sat down on the couch in between two surprised second years, it took her a moment to realize where, well, when, she was.

Hermione quickly jumped to her feet and gathered her thoughts. Classes were over. She was supposed to meet Regulus in the library. That's where she was supposed to be. Hermione grabbed her book bag and headed toward the portrait door. But before she could reach it, the Marauders came spilling through, laughing loudly. Peter was the first to spot her.

"Oh, hi, Hermione,"

"Hi, Peter."

"Where are you off to? Didn't you just get here?"

"Yeah, I've been a bit distracted today. I'm on my way to the library. I told Regulus I'd meet up with him today." This seemed to get the attention of the other three Marauders. Sirius looked at Hermione, while James and Remus were focused on Sirius. Hermione, of course, was still too focused on her thoughts to notice. Instead, she said her goodbyes and climbed through the portrait.

Sirius and Remus both watched Hermione until she had completely disappeared from view. Only then did they look away and meet each other's eyes. In two swift seconds, Sirius moved past James and started toward the portrait. Remus jumped to his feet and leapt to Sirius. He grabbed the raven-haired boy by the collar and dragged him up the stairs to their dormitory. Peter and James followed, clearly amused by their friends.

Remus shoved Sirius in their room as Peter and James pushed through the door. Remus looked back at his friends, and Sirius took that moment to try to rush the door, only to be stopped by Remus.

"Sirius, no!"

"Remus, move." Sirius practically growled. Normally, Remus would have laughed at Sirius' doggish side showing, but not right now.

"Sirius, stop."

"Remus, get out of my way."

"Sirius, stop. Honestly, what are you even trying to do?" Sirius' steel eyes met Remus'.

"There's something not right about that girl, Moony."

"Sirius, what are you even talking about?"

"She's on her way to be with Regulus, Moony. I'm sorry, but you deserve to know." Remus looked at Sirius as if he had grown an extra head.

"Yeah, I know. She just said that. They're friends. He found her when she first got here, so she thinks he's got some good qualities or something."

"No," Sirius shook his head; dark locks falling into his eyes. "She's been _with_ Regulus."

"Yeah, I know. I just said that. Didn't I just say that?" Remus looked at Peter who was scrunching his nose at Sirius. The blonde boy looked just as perplexed as his werewolf friend. Sirius pushed his hair out of his eyes.

"Remus, cut the shit, okay. I know you guys are together."

"What?!"

"I can fucking smell you on her all the damn time, mate. Come on, don't lie to me."

"Wait, wait, what?"

"I. Can. Smell. You. On. Her."

The full meaning of Sirius' words finally got through to Remus. Remus opened his mouth, but couldn't for the life of him think of what to say. Sirius, on the other hand, was not experiencing this problem.

"So while you think you may have her all to yourself, she's off doing Merlin knows what with my brother. She's playing you, Remus. Open your damn eyes before she hurts you." Remus held up his hand to stop Sirius, but the raven-haired boy knocked his hand away. Remus shook his head.

"Sirius, stop. We're not together." Sirius took a deep breath about to launch into another mini-speech, but he quickly closed it, eyebrows furrowing.

"Wait, what? You're not together? So you're just what? Messing about?"

"No, Sirius, I'm not with Hermione at all. Not in any way other than as friends. Just friends." Remus growled out his last word much to Peter's amusement. The smaller boy looked between his two friends, the cogs in his brain connecting something Sirius clearly wasn't getting. He looked at Remus.

"Remus, just tell him. He keeps your secret. I'm sure he'll keep Hermione's, too." The three other boys turned to look at Peter. Sirius looked victorious at the idea that Hermione had a secret, and Remus, ironically, looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"Peter, wh- how?"

"Sirius said she always smells like you? For one thing. And she gets a bit moody, like switches between moods really fast sometimes. And has anyone ever paid attention to what she's been reading?"

Remus looked floored. Sirius' elation had faded into confusion.

"Wait. Okay, Hermione has a secret. What is it?" Peter opened his mouth, but Remus spoke first.

"It's not mine to tell."

"Really, Moony? You've known this bird for two weeks, _two_ weeks, and suddenly, her friendship is more important than _mine_?"

"Padfoot." Sirius hardened his gaze when Remus used his nickname. "Padfoot, it's not like that. Take your head out of your ass. It's not my secret to tell."

"But Peter knows!" Sirius pouted.

"Well I didn't tell him!" Remus shouted.

"Did you bite her?"

"Peter!"

"Sorry."

Remus looked nervously at Sirius. He could practically see the puzzle pieces falling into place. Sirius looked as if he was wracking his memory for something specific. James moved around Peter to sit beside Sirius on his bed. The two boys stared at the floor until their brains clicked at the same time. They both looked up at Remus, shocked.

"You bit her?" "She's a werewolf?" They shouted at the same time.

"I didn't bite her!" Remus shouted.

"But she _is_ a werewolf."

"Yes, James, she's a werewolf."

"She lied to me!"

"Really, James?"

"Sorry."

"Listen, it's not my story to tell, but she wanted to tell you guys anyway. Her first moon is next week."

"She hasn't gone through it yet?" Peter was starting to look a little queasy thinking about it. He sat down next to James, all three boys looking up at Remus.

"No. She was just recently bitten. I've- I've been trying to help her through everything, but, I don't know, it's weird."

"Wait, so when I smell _you_ on _her_-"

"You're smelling the disease, the lycanthropy. It's not technically me."

"Oh." Sirius suddenly felt very foolish.

"So what happens next week? I mean is she going to be at the Shrieking Shack?" James asked.

"We've planned on it, yeah." The three other boys suddenly perked up. Sirius shot to his feet.

"You _told_ her about us!?"

"Sit down, Sirius. No, I didn't tell her about you all. I figured I'd think of a way to keep you all busy that night. But now you know about her, so, maybe you guys can be there."

"No, I don't like it." Three pairs of eyes landed on Sirius.

"What?"

"I get it, great, she's a werewolf, too. But just because she's a werewolf, doesn't mean we have to take care of her."

Remus stepped forward, but James beat him. Sirius' face cracked under the power of James' right hook. Blood started to spurt from Sirius' nose as he looked at his best friend in shock.

"Holy shit." Peter looked from James' red knuckles to Sirius' bloody face. It was already starting to swell.

"What the fuck, mate?"

"Sirius, what the hell. When did you turn into your mum? 'Just because she's a werewolf, doesn't mean we have to take care of her'? Mate, she's not a werewolf, she's our friend. And I don't think we'll have to worry about taking care of her.

She _knows_ we know and accept Remus, and she _still_ hasn't told us. Doesn't that tell you something? Something's not off with her, it's off with us! She's been through shit, Sirius. You don't even know. You don't even know what happened to her before she got here."

"Oh and you do?"

"Well I know she had no choice in coming here. I know her friends don't know where she is. And she doesn't even know if they're alive!"

Sirius didn't respond. James and Sirius just stared at each other, Sirius' blood dripped onto the floor. Remus and Peter looked between the two, unsure how to respond. Remus' head suddenly perked up and he turned around seconds before Hermione burst through the door.

"Oh good, you're all here. I got to the library and I just couldn't wait. Lily said she saw you guys come up here." Hermione turned around and shut the door behind her. When she turned back to face the Marauders, she stopped in her tracks. Taking in the scene before her, she sprang into action. Hermione moved toward Sirius, lifted his chin, and examined his nose.

"Sirius, what happened to you?" Her tone was so full of feeling it took Sirius by surprise. He pulled his head from her hand, wincing at the movement. Hermione looked hurt at the rejection and looked at James.

"What happened?" The boys were silent. Hermione turned to Remus, who was looking quite sheepish. "Remus, what happened?"

"I'm sorry, Hermione. They know."

"They know?"

"Yes."

"Did you tell them?"

"Well, no, not exactly."

"I did." Peter spoke up, now looking sick to his stomach. "It sort of slipped out."

"Wait, how did you know?" Peter shrugged.

"I dunno. Same way we knew about Remus, I guess. I just noticed things." Hermione was floored. She had anticipated _one_ of the Marauders to figure it out, but she honestly didn't expect it to be Peter.

"Oh." Hermione sat on the bed across from Peter, sighing. "So, you all know. I guess that's out of the way then."

"You don't have to worry, Hermione. We accept Remus; We accept you, too." Peter smiled at her, and Hermione felt warm, comfortable.

"Thank you, Peter." She looked up at James. "James?"

"I can't lie. I'm a bit mad you didn't tell me earlier, but I get it. You don't have to worry about me, Hermione. I told you. I'm there for you." He walked over to hug Hermione, who melted into his arms. Piece by piece, a weight was falling from Hermione's shoulders. She caught Remus' eye and smiled, but the other werewolf avoided her gaze and looked at Sirius instead. Hermione followed his eyes.

"Sirius?"

Sirius wiped a hand under his nose, half clearing his face of blood, half smudging it even more. He avoided Hermione's eyes. She sighed and turned to the other three.

"Would you mind giving us a moment?"

"Are you sure?" Hermione nodded at Remus and waited for the boys to leave before turning back to Sirius.

"Sit."

"What?"

"Sit down, Sirius." Sirius sat down in a huff while Hermione pulled out her wand. A flick of the wrist later, and a washcloth floated in from the bathroom. One more flick, and a bottle of firewhisky flew out from under Sirius' bed.

"Huh, some things never change," Hermione said under her breath. She poured some of the shining amber liquid onto the washcloth and, after a bit of hesitation, she shrugged and took a swig for herself. Sirius raised an eyebrow and smirked when Hermione coughed at the taste.

"Don't start. Just let me help you."

Sirius kept quiet as Hermione moved around him. The smell of firewhisky was thick in the air as she sat down beside him. Before Hermione could put the washcloth to Sirius' face, he grabbed the bottle from her hands. He took two big gulps, barely wincing as the liquor hit his throat. Silently, Hermione applied the cloth to Sirius' face, gently wiping away blood. When the whisky hit the open cut on his nose, Sirius hissed.

"Is the point of using firewhisky to cause me the most pain?"

"Oh hush. It's the best thing you've got up here, and I know for a fact it doesn't hurt that badly. You don't want to have to explain this to Madame Trapner, do you? Your nose isn't that bad anyway. And besides, firewhisky works perfectly well."

"Oh really? And who told you that?"

"Er- Just some guy back home."

"Uh huh, sure." Hermione turned Sirius' head this way and that before setting the firewhisky and washcloth aside.

"Do you want to tell me why James punched you?" Sirius ignored her and reached for the firewhisky again. Hermione took the bottle away from him.

"Sirius, please talk to me."

"Why is it so important to you that we're friends?" Hermione was taken aback.

"I-I-I see how you all are together, and with Remus. You all are incredibly caring and loyal and really just wonderful friends. I'm all alone here, and I guess, I guess I just wanted to be a part of that."

She was met with silence.

"Listen, I'm sorry. I had no idea about your, um, your thing."

"Thank you, Sirius."

"You have to know, these guys, they're my brothers. Not Regulus, these guys. They kind of picked me up first year and that was it. I don't- I'm not-"

"I understand, Sirius."

"No, you do-"

"They're your family. You're loyal to them, a bit blindly in my opinion, but it is admirable. It's hard to let someone new in, to trust someone new. You all are protective of each other. You're, you're a pack."

"Huh, a pack. I kinda like that." Hermione smiled and felt a rush of pride.

"I know you don't trust me yet, but just give me a chance. Please."

Sirius looked deep into Hermione's eyes. He lifted a hand and wiped her cheek, pushing aside tears she didn't know had fallen.

"Okay."

* * *

**A/N: **:) Hope that wasn't too fluffy. Let me know what you think! I love hearing from you guys. As always, thank you for reading. Each and every view this story receives means so much to me.

Much Love. -V.


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **Enjoy! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

* * *

**Chapter 18: Animal Instincts**

**24 September 1977**

**Seventh Year Girls Dormitory**

So it had come to this. After telling the Marauders, Hermione had spent the rest of the week with a false sense of security. But when Saturday rolled around… Saturday was three days before the full moon, and Hermione was starting to feel it. Almost the second the clock struck midnight, Hermione awoke with a start and launched herself to the bathroom to empty her stomach. She felt as if the moon was pulling on the contents of her stomach, and she groaned in pain over the toilet bowl.

"Hermione? Oh Hermione, are you okay?" And suddenly Lily Evans was by her side, rubbing circles into her back. She crouched down beside Hermione and brushed back her hair, holding it away from her face.

"Hermione do you want me to take you to the hospital wing? I'm sure Madame Trapner has something to make you feel better."

Hermione sat there for a minute, catching her breath, looking frail and pathetic. She took three deep breaths and then leaned away from the toilet.

"No, no, thank you, Lily. I think I'm fine now."

"Are you sure?" Lily looked skeptical. Hermione smiled at the concerned girl.

"Yes, I promise. I just, um, I get terrible cramps. It's just something that happens. I'm just going to go down to the common room for a bit."

"Okay, but let me know if there's anything I can do."

Hermione smiled at the redhead and pulled herself to her feet. Her limbs felt weak and achy, but Hermione was determined not to let it show. She didn't want Lily worrying about her more than she already did. Hermione grabbed a blanket and shuffled down the stairs to the common room after brushing her teeth. She sat on the couch staring at the fire before spotting an all to familiar book on a nearby table.

She rose and collected the book, settling back down on the couch. As she opened the cover, she thought surely Rebecca Thompson wouldn't mind if she borrowed her _Hogwarts: A History_. Reading the opening lines, Hermione felt that familiar feeling of comfort sweep over her, and twenty pages later, she was fast asleep.

* * *

**Seventh Year Boys Dormitory**

Sirius was counting the seconds in between Peter's snores. This was all getting a bit ridiculous. Sirius had never been much of a sleeper. Sure he loved lazy days just as much as the next person, but he never really _slept_ all that much. At Grimmauld Place, it had been awful. He averaged about three hours every night, ever since he had started school. Hogwarts was better. Here he could usually get five hours, six if he was lucky. But the best place, oh Sirius' favorite place to sleep was at James'. James' parents had taken him in and treated him like the prodigal son returned. He slept like a normal person there.

It wasn't really like Sirius needed to sleep. His body was quite accustomed to running on empty. No, the annoying part was his routine had been messed with.

In the past, Sirius had escaped the dormitory and spent hours messing about in the common room. But then Hermione arrived and she was there. And he had let her have the common room, for her nightmares. But surely she wasn't still having them.

After a brief internal argument, Sirius swung his legs over the bed and padded down to the common room. He looked around, noticing a fire was still burning. He moved toward the fireplace and finally noticed Hermione.

She had fallen asleep on the couch, but was currently shaking terribly. Sirius' eyes widened as he realized she was having a nightmare.

* * *

_Darkness. And flashes of light. So quick they barely illuminated the nothingness._

_Flash. Moony was there, somewhere in the darkness._

_Flash. Jaws wide open, teeth dripping with blood, her blood._

_Flash. Pain._

* * *

Hermione opened her mouth in a silent scream, arching her back. Sirius took a step back, startled, before rushing to her side.

"Hey, hey, Hermione, it's okay. It's me, Sirius. I'm here. It's me, Sirius."

* * *

_This was the worst part._

_He was there again. The older him, speaking words of comfort._

_"It's me, Sirius. I'm here. It's me, Sirius**"**_

_As he spoke, his face changed, years fell off. _

_Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione saw Moony approaching again._

* * *

"Sirius!" Hermione screamed out loud this time and Sirius fell back on the floor. The amount of emotion and fear in her voice took him by surprise.

"Hermione, I'm here. Come on, you can hear me. Wake up, Hermione."

* * *

_"Wake up, Hermione. It's a nightmare. It isn't real."_

_Hermione shook her head in confusion. This was off. This was wrong. He wasn't laughing or taunting or leaving. This hadn't happened before._

_She blinked, but his face didn't change. He was still the young one._

_Then maybe, maybe…_

* * *

Hermione gasped for air before her eyes opened. She felt Sirius' presence before her eyes opened. She felt grounded in reality once again before they opened. She felt safe.

But then she opened her eyes.

The second brown met grey, Hermione's irises exploded in a rain of gold. Sirius felt awe just moments before his back hit the floor. Hermione had thrown her body over his and was holding his hands above his head. Her knees were tight around his waist, and her hair was wildly falling in her face.

If Sirius were being honest with himself, he would have admitted he wasn't terribly opposed to the position he found himself in. But that's another matter.

"Hermione?" Hermione melted into Sirius' chest at the sound of her name on his tongue. She flipped her hair to one side and pressed her ear to his heart.

"Mmmm, say it again, Sirius."

"Hermione, what are you doing?" Hermione ignored him and snuggled deeper into his chest, moving her hips ever so slightly. Sirius sprung into action, wrenching his hands out of Hermione's grasp. He attempted to move away from her, but Hermione was intent on remaining close to him. Somehow, they switched places.

Sirius was now atop Hermione, who was wearing quite the satisfied grin.

"You wanna play, Sirius? Let's play!" Hermione laughed and lifted her face toward Sirius, snapped her teeth playfully. Sirius leaned away but held firm.

"Padfoot, you down here?" Remus' voice carried from the stairs. Sirius' head perked up and he looked over the couch to call for his friend.

"Remus!" Sirius managed a short shout before Hermione used his distraction to her advantage and flipped him over again.

"What the-" Remus stepped over to and around the couch until he had a full view of Hermione and Sirius.

Hermione looked at Remus and winked at the other werewolf. Then she turned back to Sirius and dragged her nose from his navel to his collarbone, breathing him in. She moaned so quietly only Sirius picked it up. His eyes widened, and he looked at Remus for help.

"Moony, mate, you got to stop her. She's possessed or something. And it's getting a bit uncomfortable for me, if you know what I mean."

Remus finally seemed to come out of shock and then looked at Hermione.

"Hermione, stop." His voice sounded nervous, and he glanced quickly at Sirius. The second time he spoke, his voice was deeper, rougher, commanding.

"Hermione, I said stop. Get off him."

Sirius looked at Hermione and focuses in wonder as the gold drained from her eyes, trailing tiny threads of sparks in the wake. This time when brown met grey, Hermione instantly shut her eyes. She climbed off Sirius and backed away, avoiding the gazes of Sirius and Remus.

"Oh Merlin, not again."

"Again, you mean this has happened before?" Sirius pulled himself off the ground.

"Twice actually." Hermione was furiously blushing and her head, eyes closed, was directed at the floor. "Once with Remus, and once with, uh, the other werewolf I knew."

"What the fuck _was_ that?"

"I'm new. At this whole werewolf thing. It, um, it takes some getting used to. It takes a lot to control my emotions and instincts."

"It's also close to the full moon. It's worse now." Remus chimed in.

"So… what?" Hermione sighed and turned to the spot in the room Sirius' scent was coming from.

"So anyone I find remotely attractive in any way is going to trigger my instincts."

"Thanks, Hermione." Sirius smirked.

"She said remotely," Remus scoffed. Hermione smiled. "Hermione, I think you can open your eyes now."

"Whoa, whoa, I don't want her jumping me again!"

"Relax, Padfoot, I'm here now."

"Well that's all fine and dandy, Remus, but what the hell can you do?"

"I can control her."

"What!?"

"Bad choice of words, Remus. What he means is that my inner wolf responds to his inner wolf. I think it's because his is older, maybe."

"This is so weird."

"Tell me about it."

The boys were silent as Hermione danced a little on her toes, trying to decide if it was safe to open her eyes. She took a deep breath, concentrating on Remus' scent, shifted a little closer to Moony, and then opened her eyes.

This time the gold didn't immediately appear. Hermione pictured that fraying rope in her mind and focused on keeping the pieces together. She blinked slowly and looked at Remus. _Remus and his handsome face and his soft hair. No, not at Remus. Moony, look at Moony._

Hermione's eyes tightened and her brow furrowed. She stared intensely at Remus.

"Uh, what is she doing?"

"I'm. Focusing. On. Moony." Hermione answered Sirius as if each word was a danger to her concentration. "It. Helps."

Remus looked back at her with sympathetic eyes and nodded.

"Oh, screw this." Hermione muttered an accio charm and a purple eye mask floated down from the girls' dormitories. She grabbed it out of the air and pulled it over her face. Letting out a sigh of relief, Hermione leaned against the wall.

Remus and Sirius looked at each other before moving a little closer.

"Hermione, you need to practice your control if you're ever going to be able to handle the full moon. I know it's hard, but I can help you." Hermione sighed.

"I know, I know. You're right, Remus. I just-" She sighed. "I'm tired, Remus. My whole body hurts. I'm nauseous. My bones ache. I just can't do it right now."

Sirius looked between the two werewolves. Hermione's head had fell forward and her shoulders slumped. She looked frail and small. Remus was looking at Hermione with sad eyes, but they were full of understanding. Because Remus knew, he knew what she was going through. Sirius moved forward toward Hermione.

"Come on, come up to our room. You can stay there for the weekend. You won't have to deal with anyone or see anyone. We can hide you away for the weekend." Sirius put his arm around Hermione's waist to lead her up the stairs. He pulled his arm back sharply when she flinched at his touch.

"Sorry. I just- um…" Hermione didn't finish the sentence but was silent when Sirius put his arm back around her. She took a deep breath and followed him, only exhaling when she felt a callused hand scoop up her free hand.

* * *

She stayed in Remus' bed all weekend. Remus of course had borrowed pillows and blankets from the rest of the boys and slept on the floor right next to her, much to Hermione's disapproval. James and Peter brought her meals from the kitchens, and Peter was very patient with her when they played wizard's chess. James massaged her shoulders, and Remus always sat by her side when the other boys were near. Although she wore the eye mask most of the time, she wanted Remus close by just in case anything happened.

She always threw off the eye mask whenever food arrived. It seemed her instinct to feed herself trumped any other instinct. For this she was both extremely embarrassed and grateful.

Throughout the weekend, Sirius kept his distance, and Hermione couldn't blame him. She was just glad he wasn't avoiding her completely. She was worried she had properly ruined their chance at friendship when she attacked him, so she didn't say anything when he just sat on his bed, watching.

She wore the face of a fighter, stoic and determined, but when she thought the Marauders weren't looking, her mask would slip. Sirius could see fear and questions bubbling beneath the surface. But he didn't _really_ understand. She was frightened- of who they were, of being alone, of having to live here in the past… but above all her greatest fear was herself.

After a while when she was given time to think and ponder, the fear and questions would dissipate and a new face would appear looking out through her eyes. Anger took to the stage. She didn't know it, but that was when they caught the first few glimpses of the wolf within. When she lost control for just a second- snapped at James, slammed a door- that's when Sirius saw who she could be, someone angry, someone with no inhibitions.

Sirius never told her but from that point on, he never stopped trying to guess where she came from.

With Remus and Sirius so close, their scents washing over her in constant calming waves, Hermione slept soundly without nightmares. She slept dreamlessly, but woke up with a start, thinking she was back at Grimmauld Place again. She felt a bit drugged, lying there is Remus' bed. It obviously calmed the wolf inside her, but it made her feel out of it and lost in her head. She spent a lot of time thinking of the Remus she had left. She wondered what he was doing.

And while Hermione was forever thankful to the Marauders for letting her hide away for the weekend, she felt horrible hiding from Lily. But with another stroke of good fortune, James had taken care of Lily for her.

James had run into Lily as he was bringing food back for Remus and Hermione. The red head had been waiting for him, sitting on the steps to the boys' dormitories. She was chewing nervously on her lower lip, and James took a second to appreciate the sight before Lily stood up. Hands on her hips, hair like fire tumbling behind her, she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Where are they?"

"Hello, Lily Darling, how are you?"

"Where are they, James? Where is she?"

"Who?"

"Potter…" Lily warned. James' face sunk a little at the use of his first name.

"Twenty four," James mumbled.

"What?" Lily's voice was still harsh.

"A new record. You didn't call me Potter for twenty four days." Lily looked shocked.

"You- you kept track," she said dumbly.

"I always do." Lily was stunned into silence. She blinked at James and looked away as a blush started crawling up her neck. She took a deep breath and looked back up at him.

"Where's Hermione?" Her voice was softer now, calmer.

"She and Remus aren't feeling well. We've quarantined them in our room. We're keeping the sickies together. Can't have our fellow Gryffindors catching it as well."

Lily looked skeptical, but she let it go, turning away from James. She walked past him to the stairs to her own room. When she looked back, James was still watching her. She smiled.

"Thank you, James." James smiled back at her before she disappeared up the stairs, but not before she heard him whisper.

"One."

* * *

**A/N: **So I had a totally different plan for this chapter, but the characters kind of did their own thing. I hope you guys like it. And I know, I know, we're all waiting for the full moon. But I promise it's coming up! Very soon! Anyway, please review (if you feel so inclined). And I really appreciate you sticking with me.

Much Love. -V.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **

**Comic Critic and pauwayland: **Way to steal my thunder! You guys totally saw what was coming! :D

**Davina 71:** I can't believe this is the first fanfic you've read. I'm so honored!

**pauwayland: **Also I do have a fancast on my tumblr (vulpeculum).

* * *

**Chapter 19: A Stag, A Dog, A Rat, and Two Werewolves Walk Into A Shack**

**27 September 1977**

**On the Way to the Shrieking Shack**

"I'm going to throw up. I'm going to vomit. Remus, I can't do this."

"Hermione, I do this every month. If I can do it, I know you can." Hermione looked around nervously.

"Where are the others?"

"What?" Remus was taken aback, and Hermione struggled to recover.

"Um, I mean, don't they see you off?"

"Oh, um, yeah, but they can't tonight. They're, um, busy."

"Busy?"

"Yeah…" They walked a couple steps in silence.

"Does someone come get you in the morning?"

"What? Oh, no. Not anymore. Madame Trapner used to get me, but now she lets me make it back on my own." They made it two more steps before Hermione spoke up again.

"Okay, one more question." Remus chuckled.

"Yeah?" "Um, what about my, um, my clothes." Hermione felt her cheeks heat up. Remus blushed as well.

"Shit."

"What?"

"I didn't think about that."

Remus and Hermione walked out of the front doors of the castle and made their way to the carriages. Remus had yet to explain there was another entrance to the Shrieking Shack, and he had yet to explain the Marauders role during the full moon. But Hermione wasn't worried. Just because she knew their secret, didn't mean they had to share it yet. But she had been hoping they would come around to help just in case she and Moony got out of hand.

They sat quietly in the carriage, listening to the thestrals breathing and watching Hogwarts grow smaller as they neared the Shack.

"Got it!" Hermione jumped, startled by Remus' abrupt outbreak.

"Sorry?"

"I got it. The clothes thing. Here, give me your sock." Hermione raised an eyebrow but pulled off her shoe and sock nonetheless. She handed it to Remus, who quickly transformed the sock into a giant t-shirt. He handed it back to Hermione.

"The clothes thing is an issue, but usually I just, um, don't wear any." Remus struggled to continue. He cleared his throat and motioned to the t-shirt in Hermione's hand. "You can change into that just before. It'll get ruined, but we can repair it each time. It wouldn't hold up if you wore it around, but it should do the trick for covering you until you transform."

"Thank you, Remus." The pink from Hermione's cheeks faded as she smiled at Remus. She turned over the grey fabric in her fingers and looked out the window.

They had arrived.

Remus stood up awkwardly in the small carriage and moved toward the door. Hermione didn't move.

"Remus," she whispered. "Remus, I'm scared." Hermione's bones felt like they were shivering in her core. She started tearing up.

Remus looked back at her and moved to sit by her side. He put his arms around Hermione and pulled her close, stroking her hair.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," he whispered in her ear. "I'm here. It's okay."

"I know you're scared, Hermione. It's okay. I'm going to be there the whole time. It's going to hurt. I'm not going to lie; it's incredibly painful. But you're strong. I _know_ you can do this."

Hermione looked at Remus with wet eyes. She hugged him with all her strength, closing her eyes and breathing him in. When she pulled away, the tears were gone.

"Okay, I think I'm ready."

The two walked up to the Shack and the carriage sped away, as if even the thestrals were afraid of what was going to take place in just a few minutes. Opening the door, Remus bounded with newfound energy up the stairs to the bedroom. Hermione took her time climbing the stairs.

"Hermione, come on. Hurry up here!"

"Remus, what is so important that I ha-" Hermione opened the bedroom door and stopped in her tracks.

Lined up by size and incredibly calm were a stag, a huge black dog, and a rat.

Seeing Padfoot and Wormtail in the shack brought her third year slamming back to the front of her memory. Hermione instinctively took a step back.

"Oh Merlin," she breathed. She looked at Remus, who was smiling like an idiot.

"Okay, Hermione, just stay calm. I- we have something to show you." He turned to the animals. "James?"

And suddenly it was James, not a stag. Hermione's eyes widened. She had never seen James transform.

"Sirius?"

The black dog started chasing his tail, and in a whir of fur, Sirius appeared, shaking his hair out like a wet dog.

"Peter?"

With a pop and a fizz, the rat grew to an alarming size and it's features faded into Peter's.

All four Marauders were wearing identical stupid grins. James wiggled his eyebrows.

"Ta da! So what do you think?" Hermione took a split-second to gather herself and reminded herself she was supposed to be surprised. Her face lit up, and her smile matched the boys'.

"You're animagi. Oh you smart, smart boys!" She walked up to each Marauder and touched their faces. Each boy smiled with pride. "This is incredible."

"We did it for Remus," Peter spoke up. "We help him through the full moon. Werewolf bites can't turn other animals. We thought we could help you, too."

"Oh, you boys are wonderful." She looked back at Remus. Remus looked like a proud parent showing off his sons. "I just want you all to know how thankful I am for all of you. Honestly, I don't know what I would do without you all here."

The boys sat around and chatted while Hermione and Remus changed. Remus transfigured his socks into a shoddy pair of pants. Hermione pulled the curtains of the bed closed to change into her t-shirt.

The t-shirt was enormous. The hem came to her mid-thigh, and the neck was wide. Her sleeve slipped over her left shoulder, her scar from Moony's bite almost completely visible. She climbed off the bed and gasped as she saw Remus.

He was shirtless. His chest, she knew, was scattered with scars. There were fewer than she remembered, but still plenty. What had startled her was his back. Remus had a scar running most of the length of his spine. The line was rough and broken in places, looking as if it had been opened and closed a thousand times.

Hearing Hermione's gasp, Remus turned his head around, hurt flashing in his eyes. Hermione's heart dropped. She stepped up to Remus and gently turned his shoulders so he faced her completely.

"I'm sorry, Remus, I didn't mean to gasp. I just, I didn't know. I mean, I knew there would be scars, but…" Hermione's eyes dropped. "Will I get one, too?"

"Yes." Hermione covered her mouth as she choked on a sob.

"And that's my cue," Sirius said as he stepped forward. He pulled something from behind his back and presented it to Hermione.

"Firewhisky?"

"Just something to help with the transformation." James groaned behind Sirius.

"Great, just what we need, a couple of drunk werewolves." Hermione and Remus chuckled, and Sirius barked out a laugh. He twisted off the cap and held the bottle out to Hermione.

"Come on, Pup, take a sip." Hermione froze.

"What did you call me?" A blush crept up Sirius' neck. Hermione's response had been unexpected.

"Um, Pup?" He looked at the other Marauders. "We just thought you needed a nickname. Like us. We were going to go with Romulus, you know cause in Roman mythology-"

"He's Remus' brother," Hermione finished. Sirius continued to ramble on.

"But we thought that was a little obvious, and you're not a guy, so. And then we just came up with Pup, cause you're like the newest member and all. So, yeah."

Hermione stepped forward with her arms out to hug Sirius. He put his hands up to stop her.

"You're not going to knock me down again, are you?" Hermione laughed and shook her head. Sirius nodded and stepped forward to meet her halfway. When Hermione hugged Sirius, she closed her eyes, pretending it was the older man.

"Thank you, Sirius," she whispered in his ear. "I love it."

"Okay, guys, ten minutes to go." Hermione released Sirius and looked at James. He was moving around the room, picking up Remus' and Hermione's clothes. Hermione thought he looked like a film director, setting the scene. Sirius nudged her and she looked up at him.

"Here, you're going to want this." Hermione took the firewhisky from him and downed a couple gulps. Sirius pulled the bottle from her lips, laughing.

"Whoa, whoa, Pup, just enough to soften the pain. James is right; we don't want two drunk wolves on the loose." Hermione smiled weakly.

"Just nervous." Sirius swayed into her and took a drink himself.

"We're here for you, Pup. We've got you."

* * *

James had surprised Hermione. He was completely prepared to deal with the two werewolves. While Remus and Hermione passed the bottle of firewhisky between them, James hustled around the room. He pulled out a standing screen and directed Hermione too stand behind it. She was to transform there to keep her privacy.

The transformation started small at first. It was like rain falling, a few drops at a time and then boom, a downpour.

Hermione's skin started to itch and her muscles started to spasm. Remus noticed her discomfort and told her it was starting. She moved behind the screen and fell to her hands and knees with a gasp. She was vaguely aware of Remus trying to talk her through the process, but his words were merely white noise to her.

Every bone moved at once, breaking and reforming. Hermione's vision was filled with white, hot pain. She heard someone whimpering. It sounded like they were miles away.

Every inch of her skin was on fire, and she was aware of each and every pore as fur pushed through. Her back zippered open as her spine realigned, the vertebrae bumping into each other like nails on a chalkboard. Hermione focused on the splintered wood beneath her hands and watched with macabre wonder as her hands rippled into claws.

Her face shook with incredible force as she threw it left and right. Each throw was accompanied by a shift- her nose, her jaw, her eyes.

The whole process took exactly 84.6 seconds, but it felt like an hour. Hermione was somehow acutely aware of each and every change. She knew what each pain was and what exactly was happening to her body with each crack. And that made it all the more painful.

The pain was worse than anything she had ever dared to imagine, but Hermione held on to consciousness as long as she could. Just before she was completely transformed, Hermione succumbed to the pain and passed out.

When the whimpers and cries had stopped, a stag, a dog, and a rat peered behind an aged screen. A pure white wolf was lying fallen on the ground. Her damp fur shone with sweat. She didn't stir. The stag stepped forward and nudged her gently with an antler. He stepped back quickly.

A deep growl rose from the floorboards. All three animagi looked at each other as another growl sounded right behind them.

* * *

**The Shrieking Shack**

When Hermione woke up she noticed two things. First, her head and face was throbbing. Second, something close by smelled like blood and- and firewhisky?

Hermione tried to open her eyes, but only one was working. She sat up in alarm.

"Whoa, whoa, slow down there, Pup." _Sirius_.

Hermione moved her hands over her body, wincing at the pain. She stopped suddenly, realizing she was wrapped in a blanket, just a blanket.

"Relax, Pup. I'm a perfect gentleman. Didn't see anything. James wrapped you up." Hermione blushed a little at the fact that Harry's father had taken care of her.

"Hold still, Pup. You're a little knocked up. I need to see the damage."

Eyes closed, Hermione hissed as firewhisky came into contact with her skin. She threw a hand out, her nails latching on to Sirius' thigh. Sirius didn't protest and let her dig into his jeans as he cleared away the blood from her face.

"Shit," he whispered.

"What? What is it?"

"It's just, um, it's worse than I thought." He pulled back from her. "James? Can you come here?"

James walked away from helping Peter with Remus and knelt beside Hermione, assessing the damage.

"Shit, Hermione, we've got to get you to Madame Trapner. Sirius put away the damn whisky. We've got to go." Sirius huffed but closed the bottle. He stored it under some floorboards and threw the rag he had been using over his shoulder. Only it wasn't really a rag.

"Wait a second," Hermione stopped as James was helping her to her feet, careful to hold the blanket in place. She turned her head so her left eye was able to fully see Sirius. "Sirius is that a towel?"

Sirius looked at the red and gold fabric slung over his shoulder. He looked back at Hermione and shrugged.

"You said firewhisky works just as well." Hermione laughed and barely winced at the pain.

"You didn't have to bring an entire towel! Don't you need that? Now the whole thing will smell like firewhisky!" Sirius smiled and shrugged.

"Everyone needs a whisky towel, for all your medical emergencies." His voice was light, but his smile disappeared from his eyes as he looked away from Hermione.

Slowly but surely, the three animagi managed to get Hermione and Remus back to the castle and settled in the hospital wing. Remus had gotten away with just two cracked ribs. He was calling it a victory.

Hermione's eye was swollen, and she had a deep gash across her eyebrow and eye. Madame Trapner had been extremely quiet when she was treating it. Besides that Hermione had the spinal tear, a few random cuts and scrapes, and a nasty bruise on her right side. The Marauders kept avoiding Hermione's gaze.

When Madame Trapner finally left them alone, Hermione motioned Peter over to her side.

"Peter, what happened last night? I don't remember anything." Peter looked nervous. He looked around for his friends. He spotted Sirius coming back from the medicine closet with pain potions.

"Um, here. Sirius!" Peter called him over and quickly ducked away when he reached Hermione's bed. Hermione looked over at Sirius.

"Sirius, what happened? Why won't anyone tell me?" Her voiced dropped to a whisper. She was terrified. "I didn't hurt anyone, did I?"

Sirius sighed and pulled the chair by her bed closer to her side.

"No, no, of course not. It was totally fine at first. You were great, Hermione. You got the hang of being a wolf really fast. It took me ages to get used to walking on four paws.

"It's my fault really. Sometimes I just, I give in to the whole thing too much. I forget we're there to help, not play. I guess I just got a little too excited there was another canine."

Sirius stopped talking and avoided her gaze. Hermione reached out to hold his hand.

"I guess I got too close or maybe I was too rough with you. But- but Moony got protective. It was like nothing we'd ever seen before. He got so protective over you. We fought for a little bit, which was fine. We've done it before, but this time, Hermione, you got in the way." He touched her face softly just to the side of her gash. Hermione closed her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Pup. I didn't mean to hurt you."

Hermione opened her eyes and looked at Sirius. For a moment, he thought he saw a flash of gold.

"It's alright, Sirius. I forgive you."

* * *

Remus looked over at Sirius and Hermione and felt a weird rumbling in his chest. He looked down, as if he expected to see answers written across his bandages. It wasn't jealousy he was feeling, although honestly, that was what he was expecting. He looked at the two again, confusion etched across his face. When Sirius reached a hand up to touch Hermione's face, a slow growl erupted from Remus' throat.

The other three Marauders and Hermione all turned to look at him. Remus blushed and waved them off. Peter went off to the cupboards to get more pain potion for Remus, and James moved to his bed.

"The growl- are you jealous?" James nodded toward Hermione and Sirius. He was being accusatory, merely concerned.

"I don't think so," Remus said, turning to James as realization sparked in his eyes. "James, I think I figured it out."

"What?"

"I don't like Hermione. I mean, no, I do, of course I do, but not, you know, like that. She's like, um, like a part of me. Last night proved it. I'm protective of her. There's some kind of bond there. It's like she's mine, you know?"

"Sorry, what? She's yours? But you don't like her?"

"Not like that," Remus huffed, trying to find the words to express himself. "It's like she belongs to me. No, that's worse. Oh, no, it's like she belongs _with_ me, but not romantically. Is this making any sense at all to you?" James laughed, shaking his head.

"Honestly no, mate. But hey, if it doesn't bother you, it doesn't bother me, eh?"

"I didn't say it didn't bother me."

"Wait what? You said you didn't like her."

"I'm not jealous. I'm just, um, uneasy. After last night, the wolf doesn't really like Padfoot that close to her."

"Moony, you know he didn't mean to hurt her. She got in the way. It was an accident."

"_I_ know that," Remus said before pointing to his chest. "But _he_ doesn't know that."

"Well, he's just going to have to get over that. We just got them to get along."

"Yeah, I guess so." Remus watched as Sirius handed Hermione a pain potion.

* * *

"This is going to scar, isn't it?" Hermione asked, her fingers ghosting over her right eye. "That's why Madame Trapner was so quiet earlier, right?"

"I'm really sorry, Pup."

"Sirius, I told you, it's not your fault. I just, I've never had a scar so prominent before. I know it makes me sound vain, but it makes me feel… I don't know." She looked down at the empty potion bottle in her hands.

"Hey, hey, stop that. Your scars don't mean anything. They do not define you, and they never will. Besides, it's a prerequisite for being a Marauder." Sirius' voice had lightened, but she could tell he was being earnest.

"James, he broke his arm first year." Sirius made a cutting motion across his forearm. "The bone came straight out of his arm. We were so afraid of getting into trouble that we waited too long to tell anyone. By the time he finally made it to the hospital wing, there was no way it couldn't have scarred.

"And Peter, he's got a bunch from an Animagus mishap. He was the first one of us to fully transform. Got so excited he ran into the fire in the Gryffindor common room. It smelled like roasted rat for days.

"Of course, Remus has got plenty. Some of them good memories, some bad, but that's the thing, Pup. We were there. We were there for each other for every scar."

"What about you?" Hermione asked gently. "Where's your scar?"

"Some scars can't be seen, Pup."

"It is a school day!" A voice came bellowing from outside the hospital wing. Seconds later Professor McGonagall appeared. "James Potter, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, you boys better have a good explanation as for why you aren't in class, right now."

"Aw, Minnie, we were just tending to the sickies. Putting in some community service hours with the less fortunate." Hermione swatted at Sirius' hand but chuckled nonetheless.

"Out! All three of you! Off to class! Mr. Lupin and Ms. Granger will be here when you are finished." The three boys groaned but stopped abruptly under Professor McGonagall's glare.

Sirius looked at Hermione as he stood up.

"Hermione, if there's anything you need…" She smiled and nodded before looking back down at the empty bottle in her lap. Sirius started to walk away, but turned around.

"Oh, Hermione?" She looked back up at him.

"Welcome to the pack, Pup."

* * *

**A/N:** Let me know what you think of this chapter!

Much Love. -V.


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **Your reviews make me happy. :) Thank you for all the kind words. Keep 'em coming!

* * *

**Chapter 20: In Which Everyone Knows**

**28 September 1977**

**Gryffindor Common Room**

She was sore. All over her body. Every single muscle hurt. But it was a bit strange.

It was satisfying.

She felt like she had just run _and won_ a race to London and back. She felt sore, yes, but invincible. She looked over at Remus. He was sleeping. He was going to get to leave soon, leave the hospital wing. Although his dreaming face was furrowed with worry, Remus had survived the night with minimal injuries. Despite Moony's fight with Padfoot.

The fight. Hermione's hand drifted up to the healing wound around her eye. Moony had been protective of her, that's what Sirius had said. Hermione's heart swelled at the thought of Remus protecting her even when reduced to his most basic instincts, but… There was always a but, wasn't there.

But Moony protecting her like that, fighting Padfoot like that. It only confirmed her theory. Moony recognized her as his, as his _creation_. She shivered at the thought. And if Moony knew, did that mean Remus would know as well?

A groan from Remus snapped her back to reality. He was shifting in his sleep and obviously hurting. But how was he hurting so much compared to her? Hermione was in pain, yes, but honestly, she felt like she could manage going to classes. She cocked her head and watched Remus as Madame Trapner returned.

"Remus, dear, you are free to go now." The healer gently touched Remus' shoulder to wake him. She stepped away as he jerked away. "Remus, you may return to classes if you'd like."

Remus nodded, wiping the sleep from his eyes. He took a pain potion from Madame Trapner and rose from the bed. He looked at Hermione expectantly. Madame Trapner followed his gaze.

"Oh no, Ms. Granger, you must stay in bed a little longer. Don't protest, dear, it's no use. First moon and all, I know you must be exhausted. Mr. Lupin may return after dinner to escort you back."

Hermione sighed. She wasn't in _that_ much pain. She opened her mouth to say so, but Madame Trapner simply held up her hand.

"Move along, Mr. Lupin. If you hurry you can still be on time for class."

Remus took one last look at Hermione before shuffling out of the hospital wing. As Hermione watched him leave, Madame Trapner brought her another pain potion.

"Try to get some sleep, Ms. Granger. It will do you good." She smiled at Hermione and patted her gently on the arm. "Oh, and before I forget, Mr. Black left this for you." She placed a small book in Hermione's hands before walking away.

"Sirius? But why didn't he just come in?" She looked up from the book, but Madame Trapner had already disappeared into her office. Hermione looked back at the book in her hands.

_Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_

Hermione blinked. She turned the book over in her hands before noticing a piece of parchment sticking out of the book toward the end. Confused, she opened the book to pull the parchment out.

It was a card, handmade. Across the top, delicate script read "Get Well Soon." Each letter perfectly formed. _Regulus._ Under the message was a small sketch. A wolf sleeping on a hill, under a full moon.

_He knows. Regulus knows._

Hermione looked up from the card in her hand, half expecting to see Regulus standing at the door. But he wasn't there.

_So, he knows. _Hermione sighed, unsure of how she should feel about this new information. _Maybe he doesn't know. Maybe he just felt like drawing a wolf. This doesn't mean he knows… But would it be so bad if he knew? Would he tell anyone?_

Despite knowing Regulus was truly a good person, Hermione found herself worrying that he might spill her secret. She shook her head, dismissing the thought. With a sudden wave of determination, Hermione pushed back the crisp sheets on the hospital bed and left the hospital wing without even a glance toward Madame Trapner's office.

* * *

**The Library**

Regulus was sleeping when she found him. He had potions notes spread out all over their usual table. Hermione sat down opposite him and dropped her book on the table with a bang. Regulus sat up with a jolt.

"Hermione."

"Hi, Regulus," she said, suddenly extremely nervous.

"Your eye." Hermione lifted a hand but caught herself.

"I had a rough night."

"You're okay though, right?" Regulus looked genuinely worried. Hermione smiled at him.

"Yeah, I'm okay."

"Good. I really didn't want to have to have words with my brother." He smirked, but his eyes were sad.

"How did you know Regulus?"

"You appeared out of no where and tackled me like I was a stack of parchment," he said with an eyebrow raised. "You honestly thought I wasn't going to pay attention."

Hermione couldn't help but smile.

"So?"

"So what?"

"So what do you think?"

"About what?" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"About me, Regulus. About what I am." Regulus stopped to think for a moment.

"I think you're incredibly strong. I think there's a lot more to you than you let on. I think you need to open up a little bit, let people help you."

"That's it?"

"What? Were you expecting something else?" Hermione blushed and avoided Regulus' gaze.

"I'm sorry. I just, I dunno, thought because of-"

"You thought because I'm a Black I would go running to Dumbledore and demand to have the monster expelled." Hermione looked up sheepishly. Regulus sighed. "I don't blame you, but Hermione, you have to know, I'm not- that's not me."

Regulus rubbed his arm absentmindedly. Hermione looked at his arm, the dark mark just peeking out from under his sleeve. She wondered if he knew she knew he had it. She looked back up to his eyes. Oh, he knew. Regulus dropped his arm under the table.

"I was alone." His voice was so quiet that Hermione had to rely on her heightened hearing to make out his words. "I'm not going to say I didn't know better, because I did. But I was alone. Sirius had just left, and I didn't know what to do. It was stupid and I've regretted it ever since."

"Regulus, I-"

"No, it's okay. I want you to know I don't believe any of it. Maybe I did once, I don't know, but I don't now." He looked deep into Hermione's eyes, his gaze full of so much intensity it scared her. "I would never betray you, Hermione. I swear. I'll never tell. You can trust me. I mean, Remus is still here. I haven't told anyone about him."

"You know about Remus?" Regulus smirked.

"You think my brother's going to become an Animagus, and I'm not going to know why?" Hermione stared at Regulus.

"Is there anything you don't know?" Regulus laughed and Hermione smiled. "Thank you, Regulus. You didn't have to explain, but thank you. I trust you, even if Sirius doesn't, I trust you. So thank you."

Regulus smiled and didn't stop until Hermione had made her way back to the hospital wing and slipped back into bed. Madame Trapner brought her another pain potion and was none the wiser.

* * *

**Seventh Year Girls Dormitory**

"PMS is a bitch, then?"

"Sorry?"

Hermione had just arrived in the girls' dormitory. After a quick and somewhat disappointing dinner in the hospital wing, Remus had arrived to walk her back to Gryffindor tower. On the way, he had filled her in on what she had missed in class, assuring her that he had taken adequate notes that he was more than willing to share. Remus cast a glamour over her eye before they left, just in case they ran into anyone in the halls. She didn't want to have to explain anything.

When they had walked through the portrait, Hermione had been secretly pleased to find the seventh year girls deeply engaged in a study session. She managed to sneak upstairs unseen, or so she thought. She had barely made it through the door when Lily spoke. Hermione whipped around.

"I said, PMS is a bitch, then?" Hermione suddenly remembered the excuse she had given Lily the last time she had seen her. Saturday. Four days ago. Had it really been that long?

"Oh, um, yeah. Some months are better than others." Hermione turned to her trunk, carefully placing the book Regulus had sent with her others.

"I wish I could have helped. You know, with your pre-moon syndrome." Hermione froze and then turned to face Lily.

"How did you know?"

"Um, you've been "sick" with Remus." Lily made air quotes with her fingers. Hermione sighed.

"Wait, so you know about…"

"Remus? Yes, I do." Hermione and Lily moved to sit on Hermione's bed.

"Does he know you know? How long have you known?"

"Well, I started getting suspicious when he left each month, but I didn't put it together until the boys started joining him during the moons."

"Oh, so you know about that, too."

"Yep."

"And they don't know you know?" Lily shrugged.

"It's their secret. If they're not ready to share, that's okay with me."

"Wow." They sat in silence for a minute. Both witches staring straight ahead, unsure of what to say.

"So… how was it?" Lily shook her head. "No, sorry, was that insensitive? I- I don't know what to say." A small smile graced Hermione's face. It fell as Hermione remembered the change.

"Painful. The transformation at least. Merlin, Lily, I didn't think anything could hurt that badly. I don't remember anything else though. Remus says it's because it was my first one. I'll be able to remember later on."

"Merlin, Hermione, it was your first moon. I- I thought…"

"No, just recently bitten."

"Can I ask who, who it was?" Hermione stiffened somewhat. She shifted.

"I- I can't say, Lily. I'm sorry." Lily blushed.

"No, no! Forget I asked!" Silence fell again. Then suddenly Lily threw her arms around Hermione.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione." Hermione smiled at Lily's touch and returned the hug despite her protesting muscles.

"Thank you, Lily." Lily sat back and looked at Hermione.

"I know the boys are probably more experienced and can help more, but I'm here. If you ever want to talk or anything, I'm here for you."

"Thank you, Lily." Lily beamed, but her smile only lasted seconds before her eyes widened in shock. She looked at Hermione as if she was just not seeing her.

"Hermione, your eye." Hermione felt the glamour charm finish fading and looked away from Lily.

"It's nothing." Lily pulled Hermione's chin so she could see the wound better.

"This isn't nothing, Hermione."

"I'm fine, Lily. Honest. It doesn't even hurt that much." Lily pulled her hand back.

"People are going to ask, Hermione."

"I know. I just, I don't know what I'm going to say." Lily smiled and patted Hermione's hand.

"I'll take care of it," she said reassuringly. "Don't worry."

* * *

**30 September 1977**

**Gryffindor Common Room**

Taking care of it turned out to mean spreading ridiculous rumors about what happened to Hermione, each more ridiculous than the next.

As Hermione walked the halls of the castle for the rest of the week, whispers followed her like shadows. First years looked at her with awe. Older students looked at her with a mixture of curiosity, judgment, and indifference.

Later that week, Hermione sat down in a huff surrounded by seventh year Gryffindors. While stories of what happened to Hermione had been circling the castle all week, none of the Gryffindors actually approached to question her on what really happened. Apparently, the conjoined forces of Lily and James had assured each Gryffindor that it was none of their bloody business.

"This is getting ridiculous." Lily looked up from her copy of _Witch Weekly_ and giggled at Hermione's state of annoyance.

"It's not funny, Lily. These stories are getting out of control. You know I heard some first years talking about how I fought the Giant Squid." A burst of laughter erupted form the whole group.

"Actually that was mine." Hermione looked at Peter sternly before she too let out a laugh. She turned back to Lily, shaking her head.

"But really Lily, a pillow fight? You don't even want to know the description I was hearing from a couple fifth year Ravenclaw boys."

Lily looked at Hermione with confusion written across her face. She then turned to look at James who was sporting quite the fetching shade of crimson.

"James Potter!" Hermione looked at James. The other three Marauders were rolling on the floor laughing at their friend.

"I was just joining in on the fun," he said sheepishly. "So maybe I got a little carried away in the details."

The Gryffindor seventh years fell into fits of laughter. Hermione sat back and watched her new friends, completely ignoring the book in her lap. She was growing accustomed to this. It both comforted and terrified her. This was becoming her new normal.

She was silent for the rest of the night until the girls decided it was time for bed.

"You coming up, Hermione?" Dorcas asked.

"I think I'll stay down here for a little longer."

"Okay!"

The fire glowed softly, sending shadows dancing across the walls. The Marauders and Hermione were alone. Remus smiled at Hermione, nudging her softly.

"So, you survived your first month at Hogwarts," he said. "How does it feel?" Hermione smiled and nudged Remus back.

"I can't believe it's been a month."

"I know. I can't believe October first is tomorrow. I feel like yesterday was the first of September." Hermione looked at Remus with wide eyes.

"October starts tomorrow?" She looked away. "October starts tomorrow."

James looked up from his game of Exploding Snap with James and Sirius. He looked concerned.

"Hermione, you okay?" Hermione looked at the Marauders.

"I- I missed my birthday."

"What?" "Your birthday? When was your birthday?" "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I completely forgot. Oh Merlin. I can't believe I forgot. It was the nineteenth. I can't believe I missed my 18th birthday."

The Marauders looked between each other, identical smiles spreading across their faces. Hermione, staring into space, completely missed the silent conversation taking place between the boys. James got up quietly and ran up the stairs to the boys' dormitory.

When James returned, the Marauders rose. Hermione looked up at them with questioning eyes. She looked at James, invisibility cloak in one hand and map in the other. His eyes were shining with mischief. He held out a hand for her as Sirius spoke.

"Come on, Pup. Time to celebrate."

* * *

**A/N: **Hope you guys like this chapter! And don't forget you can always leave a review if you want to see a certain scene or interaction. Get ready for some Marauders fun in the next chapter.

Much love. -V.


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **So Hermione's birthday celebration was only supposed to take up half of this chapter, but... well, hope you like it! Please review! (Reviews help keep writer's block away! It's scientifically proven.) I've also added a page on my tumblr for the Marauder Rules and will update accordingly. I'm on tumblr as vulpeculum. Check me out!

**To Guest: **Obviously, parts of this story will not follow the books exactly. In this fic, Regulus took the mark not because he was a die-hard Death Eater, but because he knew he had to in order to survive in Slytherin, in his family, etc. Of course it would seem to Sirius that he took the mark because he truly believed in Voldemort, but I digress.

**To daniella2cool:** The end of this chapter is for you. :) Hahah, hope you don't hate me too much.

* * *

**Chapter 21: In Which Firewhisky Seems to Be the Only Drink in this Story**

**30 September 1977**

**The Halls of Hogwarts Castle**

They were running through the halls and were being much too loud for sneaking about. But they didn't care. James led the way, map in hand, taunting Sirius for being too slow. Sirius was right on his heels, shouting obscenities at James. Peter was next, running with James' invisibility cloak held around his neck like a cape. Hermione laughed as Peter's back disappeared and reappeared with every step. Hermione followed next and bringing up the rear was Remus.

"Rule number one!" James shouted over his shoulder.

"What?" Hermione couldn't hear him over the laughter of the rest of the boys. James threw his head back to look at Hermione.

"Marauder rule number one! Padfoot?" Sirius slowed his pace to match Hermione.

"Marauder rule number one is _fidelitas supra omnia_." Hermione raised an eyebrow. Sirius' eyes were sparking with mischief. "Loyalty, over everything."

"Good on you, Padfoot, glad you remember." James brought the group to a stop in front of a statue of a one-eyed witch. Hermione's smile grew.

"Rule number nine," James looked between the boys. "Wormtail!"

"Always return the cloak," Peter said as he balled up the invisibility cloak and tossed it at James' face.

"Well done, Mr. Pettigrew." James pulled out his wand and moved to stand by Hermione. He winked at her. "Watch this. I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Hermione watched in genuine wonder as the map responded to James' words. She'd seen the map reveal itself a hundred times, but somehow it was different this time as it responded to an original Marauder. The classrooms and grounds of Hogwarts spread across the parchment while black ink danced across the page.

"This is the pride and joy of the Marauders," James explained. "It's the most accurate map of Hogwarts ever created. Every classroom, every hallway, every secret passageway, it's all in here. And not only that…"

James moved his hand to point to the five pairs of footprints with five familiar names.

"That's us!"

"Exactly. Every student and professor is here. See, here's us right here. Here's Dumbledore in his office. And here's Filch, who so kindly decided to prowl around the other side of the castle tonight."

Hermione looked up at James.

"This is incredible."

"Just wait." James moved his finger to the space on the map just beside where they stood. The passageway to Hogsmead. He looked at Hermione who was doing her best to act as if she was just putting the pieces together. She turned to James.

"Is that a passageway? Here? I don't see one."

"Ah, Moony! Marauder rule number 79?" Remus smirked before answering.

"Secret passageways are not for snogging." James' smile fell.

"Shit." He took a step back. He ran his hand through his hair. "Wait, hold on, I remember… Shit, shit." Remus, Peter, and Sirius chuckled. Sirius grabbed the map from James.

"Marauder rule number 77," he said, confidently. "The map never lies."

Sirius stepped up to the One-Eyed Witch.

"Dissendium." The statues slid to the side silently, and Sirius turned back to the Marauders.

Sirius leapt through the hole in the wall, closely followed by Peter and Remus. James grabbed Hermione's hand.

"Come on, Pup. Here we go."

The second he landed in the tunnel, Sirius transformed into Padfoot. James changed into his stag form and let Peter crawl onto his back before racing Padfoot down the path. Hermione and Remus looked after them fondly.

"It gets easier." Hermione looked up at Remus.

"What gets easier?"

"Watching them. It was hard at first, seeing them as Padfoot, Prongs, and Wormtail. I was jealous, you know. We don't get to play in our forms. It's not fun for us to change.

"But then I remembered why they did it. They learned because of me. And I realized that if I couldn't properly appreciate friends like that and let them have their fun, then I didn't deserve them."

"Oh, Remus," Hermione sighed, reaching out to touch his arm. "You're too hard on yourself. You deserve so much. Don't ever think you don't deserve the world, or at least Padfoot, Prongs, and Wormtail."

"Why don't you call me Moony?"

"What?"

"You never call me Moony, but you call them by their names."

"I call you Moony."

"Okay, yes, you call _him_ Moony, but you don't call _me_ Moony."

"Oh." Hermione thought about it for a second.

"I guess it's because you're two different people to me. You and Moony. Like Padfoot and Sirius are the same, but you're- I don't know, distanced from Moony. I know he's a part of you, but it's like _you_ don't know he's a part of you."

"Should I not call you Pup then?" Hermione was quiet.

"No, you can call me Pup. I think that's where we're different, Remus. I've accepted this, what we are."

"How can you just accept it?"

"The werewolf I lived with before," Hermione smiled. "He's one of the most amazing wizards I've ever met, and if being a little more like him means I'm a werewolf, well I'll take it."

Remus was silent and looked deep in thought.

"Oi, Moony, you and Pup better get a move on or I'll send Peter to eat all the chocolate!" A growl escaped Remus' throat and he looked at Hermione. The two burst into laughter and ran to catch up with the others.

"Okay Pup, so you've already learned Marauder rules one, nine, 77, and thanks to my mistake 79-"

"And 48." James looked at Remus.

"Oh, that's right. You took her to the kitchens." James turned back to Hermione. "Okay, so 48, too. Time to learn rule 82."

James pushed open the door that led to Honeydukes. The Marauders and Hermione filed through one by one.

Hermione took in the stacks of sweets and shelves of candy. The smell of cane sugar swirled through her hair. Even in the dark, the store was overwhelmingly happy and colorful.

"Rule number 82. Take what you can, but always pay it back." James let a small pile of galleons fall through his fingers onto the checkout counter.

* * *

Hermione bounced through the aisles of Honeydukes picking out her favorite treats. A few chocolate frogs here, a couple sugar quills there. She laughed as she passed Remus who looked quite frustrated as he tried to decide whether to grab another chocolate frog.

"We're celebrating my birthday, Remus. Take the frog." This seemed to satisfy Remus since he grabbed not one but two more.

* * *

**The Shrieking Shack**

The three animagi had transformed and raced each other to the Shrieking Shack while the two werewolves followed under the invisibility cloak. Along the walk, Remus pointed out all the shops in Hogsmead and gave Hermione a run-down on the village. Hermione's cheeks started to hurt from smiling.

When they had arrived at the Shrieking Shack, Hermione had burst out laughing. Peter, James, and Sirius had attempted to decorate the Shack with things from Honeydukes. On the splintered table in the middle of the room sat a group of cauldron cakes with candles stuck about haphazardly. A huge bottle of firewhisky sat to the side.

Three hours later, they were sitting in a circle on the floor of the Shrieking Shack. Peter was lying on his stomach examining the chocolate frog card he held an inch from his face. Sirius was reclining against the ratty couch, cigarette hanging out of his mouth. Remus and James were swaying side to side with their arms around each other, singing a song Hermione didn't know. Hermione was sitting up, watching Remus and James in awe. Candy wrappers and half-eaten snacks were spread out across the floor. Peter had organized a circle of licorice around a sticky spot of spilled firewhisky. James and Remus let their voices fade as their song came to a close.

"Thank Merlin," Sirius said on an inhale before exhaling sharply. "Thought th'song'd never end." Hermione giggled. Her cheeks felt hot. She looked around at the boys before falling onto her back. She looked up at Sirius.

"Sirius." Hermione thought she was whispering, but it wasn't quite so. "Sirius, I think I'm drunk." Sirius chuckled, taking another drag from his cigarette.

"You're not sure, Pup?"

"I dunno! Never been drunk before." Sirius looked down at her.

"Wait, what? Never?"

"No! Never had time for it I s'pose."

"Huh," he looked over at the other Marauders. "Hey, M'rauders! Pup's never been drunk before!"

The other three Marauders popped up.

"Aw, Pup's so innocent," James laughed. Hermione couldn't help but giggle and cover her face. She sat back up.

"James, will you sing again?" Sirius sat up straight, too.

"Nuh uh. No more of that shit." With a flick of his wand, the radio that sat in the corner jumped to life. Music blared through the tiny speaker. Hermione couldn't make out the lyrics, but she liked the beat. It made her want to dance. She got up to her feet, somewhat unsteadily, and started dancing to the song.

"Really Padfoot, this song? Again?" James shouted over the music.

"Iss our song, Prongs. Runnin' with the pack! That's us! Plus, seems like Pup likes it."

She danced in slow motion, moving from one foot to the other. Her arms waved above her head. She moved around the room, circling the small space before she came back to Sirius. She shook her head, letting her wild curls be free. Sirius mimicked her, shaking his own hair, and sang along with the song under his breath.

As the song ended Hermione twirled on one foot and lost her balance. But suddenly Remus was there, holding her steady.

"Whoa there," he said, taking hold of her arms. Hermione squirmed under his hands until she held both of his hands. She took the lead, pulling Remus with her. She spun away from him and allowed him pull her back. Hermione let her head fall to his chest. She closed her eyes as they continued to sway.

"You good?"

"I'm good, Professor."

"Professor?"

"It's what I call you." Hermione was only vaguely aware of what she was saying.

"A new nickname? Why Professor?" Hermione pulled away from Remus' chest and looked at him. Looking into her eyes, Remus felt like Hermione was looking _into_ him, looking deeper.

"'Cause you're my professor. My werewolf mentor." Remus seemed to accept this. Hermione put her head back on his chest.

"Ah, yes. Trade one werewolf for another." Hermione didn't speak but she hummed against his chest. Remus tested out his new name. "Hmm, Professor. Professor. Okay, I can live with that."

"Oi, Moony! Stop hogging the birthday girl!" The song halted abruptly and was replaced by a more upbeat tune. Hermione giggled and hopped away from Remus.

James came up to her and grabbed her hands. The two jumped and hopped and danced along to the song. Hermione sang along without really knowing the lyrics. The rest of the boys stood up and danced along, too. Sirius banged his head, letting his raven locks fly across his face. Hermione danced from boy to boy, her laughter ringing out like a choir of bells.

The song ended and the group collapsed in a heap of limbs.

"We didn't get presents!" Peter pouted. "Hermione doesn't have presents!" Hermione reached across James to pat Peter on the head.

"S'okay, Petey. I don't need any gifts."

"Everybody needs gifts on their birthday."

"I got my Marauders. S'all I need." Hermione felt the boys shifting around her. She opened her eyes and suddenly James was there an inch from her face.

"Not good enough, Granger!"

"Wha-" James silenced her with a sloppy kiss on the lips. James pulled away laughing at Hermione's shocked face.

"Kiss for good fortune, Pup!"

"What!?" She sat up, eyes narrowing at James. James feigned fear for a second before attacking Hermione with his fingers.

She screamed and shouted amists laughter as James tickled her. Her limbs lashed out catching various Marauders before a lucky kick managed to knock James onto his back.

"Air! I need air!" Hermione pushed herself away from the Marauders and ran outside. Remus watched her stumble out the door and followed her.

She was standing there in front of him, her hair loose in the breeze from rolling around on the floor and dancing. She looked positively wild. Remus approached her slowly like she was truly a wild animal and stood beside her in silence.

"You know, they say it's the most haunted building in Britain."

"Oh really, and why's that?" Remus chuckled. Hermione's voice dropped to a whisper.

"They say a monster lives here. A monster more terrifying and dangerous than anything you've ever seen." She smirked at Remus. "But they're wrong you know."

"Huh, are they? So there's not a monster here?"

"Nope." She winked. "There's two!"

Hermione tilted her head back and looked up at the sky. The stars were scattered across the sky like freckles. She took a deep breath and howled. And when she finished she looked back at Remus with the biggest grim he'd ever seen. She nudged him before throwing her arms out wide and howling again. And this time Remus joined her. Hermione felt a shiver climb her arm as the wolf in her recognized Remus.

The two werewolves stood there in the light of the waning gibbous. Remus was sure his voice would be hoarse the next day.

"Padfoot, Wormtail, are you seeing this? There's two werewolves on the loose out here!"

The door to the shack burst open with a slam and a third howl echoes into the night. Only this one was a little more real. Hermione spun around and dropped to her knees as Padfoot came barreling over. She laughed and scratched him behind the ears.

"Remus, look! A puppy! Oh can we keep it?" Hermione and Padfoot turned to look at Remus with identical puppy dog eyes. Remus rolled his eyes.

Hermione laughed and rose to her feet. Padfoot nipped at her ankles. The two chased each other around the shack, running around and into the other Marauders. Hermione jumped behind a corner of the shack and fell quickly to her hands and knees. Padfoot skidded to a halt just in front of her.

Forehead to forehead, Padfoot and Hermione faced off. Padfoot was panting slightly. Hermione growled playfully. She pressed her forehead into Padfoot and closed her eyes. Padfoot pushed back, making Hermione sit back on her heels.

But suddenly Padfoot was gone. Sirius shifted out of his Animagus form without so much as a whisper. He dropped his head and captured Hermione's lips with his own. Hermione's eyes shot open in shock.

It wasn't a very long kiss. It didn't last more than a few seconds, but in Hermione's slightly intoxicated state, it felt like minutes. Her eyes searched Sirius' face, but his eyes were closed. Hermione's brain was foggy, and she couldn't make sense of the situation. A wall fell somewhere inside her. She closed her eyes again.

But just as she let herself fall into the kiss, Sirius pulled back. Hermione opened her eyes, and for a moment she swore she was looking at the older Sirius.

"Kiss for good fortune, Pup." Sirius repeated James' words, but his tone was uniquely Sirius, part jovial part sincere. Hermione felt something stir in the pit of her stomach. She opened her mouth to say something.

And promptly vomited.

* * *

**A/N:** The first version of this chapter made me want to pull my hair out, but I'm much happier with it now. Let me know what you all think!

Oh and tidbits! Okay, so Marauder rule number 1 (fidelities supra omnia) means loyal over everything. I'm not going to pretend to be an expert at Latin so please correct me if I'm wrong! Also the song that Sirius plays is "Run With the Pack" by Bad Company. Thanks for reading!

Much Love. -V.


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **Hope the ending of this chapter isn't too abrupt. I just kept writing and it was getting so long I had to cut it into two chapters.

**To Guest:** I'm very sorry that you don't like the pairing of Sirius and Hermione. Thank you for your suggestions on pairings, but this is my story. Maybe I'll write a Remione fic in the future.

**To daniella2cool:** Don't worry- my Sirius isn't a mindless womanizer. But just wait until I explain how he got his reputation!

**To Mystery of the Night:** That's something Hermione is going to keep struggling with (as you can see a little in this chapter). She's smart enough to understand the laws of time, but that doesn't mean she doesn't want to save everyone.

* * *

**Chapter 22: Bad Moon Rising**

**1 October 1977**

**Seventh Year Girls Dormitory**

When Hermione woke up, she noticed two things. First, her head was throbbing and her mouth felt dry. Second, the lights in the room were too damn bright. Hermione opened one eye and looked around. Someone was rustling around near her bed. She sat up quickly and immediately regretted the decision. Lily chuckled.

"Well good morning, sleeping beauty. Or should I say afternoon."

"Ugh, my head. Why does my head hurt so much?"

"That's what you get for not telling me about your birthday and then celebrating with _them_. I had to find out from James. James, Hermione!"

"Wait, when did you talk to James?" Lily smirked.

"Oh, the boys have been up for hours. The first official quidditch practice with the new team was this morning. Oh, you should have been there, Hermione! James looked so good! I mean, no! The team, the team looked so good."

"Uh huh." This time Hermione smirked.

"Oh hush, I'll have you know Remus had some very interesting things to say about you." Hermione froze.

"What?"

"I seem to recall something about howling at the moon?" Bits and pieces of memory floated back to Hermione. She covered her face, but laughed nonetheless.

"Oh, Merlin. I can't believe I did that," she groaned. "I didn't do anything else too embarrassing, did I?" Lily's eyes widened, sparkling with mischief. Hermione remembered seeing the same spark in James' and Harry's eyes.

"You don't remember?" Lily burst out laughing. "Oh, this is so perfect. Oh Merlin, Hermione, this is too good."

"Shut it, Lily. What did I do?"

"Nuh uh, I am not going to be the one to tell you. Consider this karma for not telling me about your birthday." Lily turned to head out of the room. "Hurry up, Hermione. We're going to lunch soon and I'm sure you don't want to miss it."

Hermione fell back against her pillows with a groan.

She took a quick shower and dressed absentmindedly. She was wracking her brain trying to remember what had happened the night before. She remembered going to Honeydukes and then the Shack. And, and then they had started drinking. Merlin, did she really drink that much?

Hermione brushed her teeth twice.

She leaned forward to spit, and when she picked up her head and looked in the mirror, something came back to her.

_Oh shit. No, no, no, no, no, no! Oh Merlin!_

They had kissed, she and Sirius. Kissed! He kissed her! Sirius _freaking_ Black. And, oh Merlin, she had been sick. Oh Merlin.

How was she supposed to look at him now?

Hermione cast a quick tempus, gathered all her Gryffindor courage, and shuffled down the stairs, head held high.

"There she is!" Hermione winced at the shouting. "The party animal herself!"

"Oh hush, James. Let her get some food first, and then you can make fun of her." Lily smacked James on the arm and walked forward to gather Hermione.

As Lily whisked her from the common room, Hermione took a quick inventory of their group. Yep, whole gang was there. All four Marauders, Hermione, Lily, Marlene, Mary, and Dorcas. Hermione was acutely aware of Sirius looking at her.

She was thankful when they finally sat down in the Great Hall, the food before her giving her a distraction. That is until Sirius sat down next to her.

Hermione froze.

"How you feeling?" Hermione turned to look at Sirius, very much a doe in headlights.

"Sorry?"

"I said, how are you feeling? A bit hungover?" Hermione groaned.

"You could say that." She looked at the other Marauders. "How are you all so awake right now? And Lily said James had quidditch this morning?"

"Practice." Sirius winked. Hermione shivered a bit from something.

Why was Sirius acting so normal? Maybe, maybe it didn't happen? Maybe she just dreamed that she kissed Sirius. No, that's probably worse. She looked at Sirius as if his face was a puzzle she was trying to solve. He just smiled at her. Hermione managed a smile in return and turned to pile food onto her plate.

"Wotcher, Hermione. Don't get too much food. You don't want to get sick and vomit." Hermione looked up at her betrayer. Remus' eyes were very clear: _Sorry, but I had too._ With a look around the table at all her giggling friends, Hermione made an exasperated noise and hid her face in her hands.

"I've seen girls run screaming from Padfoot, but I don't think anyone's actually gotten sick at the sight of him." Hermione glanced at Sirius, but he was laughing along with his friends.

"At least she didn't kiss him back," Lily joined in. "Merlin, then where would we be?" The entire group burst out laughing. Sirius joined in, and after a moment, Hermione did as well. She felt herself relax.

While she appreciated her friends not making a fuss over the matter, Hermione couldn't help but compare their reaction to what Harry, Ron, and Ginny would have done.

Ron would've laughed his head off at her getting so drunk she vomited. He'd wish he were there to see it. He'd chastise her a bit, telling her she's supposed to be the responsible one, but secretly he'd be a little bit proud of her for letting go.

Harry, of course, would have been horrified that she kissed his godfather, but he wouldn't know how to express himself, so he would just avoid Hermione for a couple of days. After a while, he'd push the memory to the side and carry on as if it had never happened.

And Ginny, Hermione couldn't help but smile thinking of the redhead, Ginny would've been ecstatic that not only did Hermione get drunk, but that she kissed a fit boy. _Yes_, Hermione admitted, _Sirius was definitely fit. No use in denying it._

As the group walked back to Gryffindor Tower, Hermione was hit by a wave of guilt. She hadn't thought about her friends in a while.

She touched the moonstone necklace.

Oh, she felt awful. Here she was laughing, making friends, having fun, and her friends were Merlin knows where facing Merlin knows what. She should be there. She should be there helping! She shouldn't be here kissing on Siri-

Wait.

Hermione suppressed another groan. If she kissed _this_ Sirius, that meant that the other, older Sirius knew. Hermione felt her cheeks grow warm. For some reason, the whole situation embarrassed her more now that she knew _her_ Sirius knew. _No, not my Sirius, just Sirius. I really need to stop thinking of him like that._

"Hermione?" Marlene was speaking to her.

"Oh sorry, I was a bit zoned out."

"No, it's okay. I just, well, I just wanted to tell you to be careful."

"Sorry?"

"With Sirius. Just be careful. I'm sure you've heard, but he's got a bit of a reputation. I just don't want to see you get hurt."

"Oh no, Marlene, we're not- I mean, Sirius and I-"

"Listen, it's okay. I just want you to be careful." Marlene nodded at Hermione who was quite speechless and then skipped ahead to catch up with Dorcas.

"What just happened?" Hermione whispered to herself.

"Alright, Pup?" James threw an arm around Hermione.

"Besides being terribly hungover _and_ embarrassed? I'm doing great." James chuckled.

"Don't worry about it, Pup. Embarrassing yourself drunk is just another prerequisite of being a Marauder. You're almost there!"

"Oh really? And what else do I have to do to be an official Marauder?" James thought about it for a second before the matches of mischief relit his eyes.

"You let me worry about that, Pup. Just get your confidence back together." Hermione grimaced. James lowered his voice to a whisper. "Sirius is tougher than you think, Pup. He knows you didn't get sick 'cause of him. But he's confident enough to let us laugh our arses off at him."

Hermione smiled and looked ahead to Sirius who had his arm around Peter's neck and was ruffling his hair. Maybe this wasn't the end of the world.

* * *

October was going swimmingly. After the initial laughfest over Hermione's drunken blunder, the whole situation had blown over. Although, Sirius did seem to be making an effort to talk to Hermione more.

The weekend after her birthday celebration was the first weekend the students were allowed to go to Hogsmead. Hermione had accompanied Lily and the other Gryffindor girls. They had met up with the Marauders at the Three Broomsticks.

Hermione, much to the amusement of her friends, refused to go back into Honeydukes that day.

Classes were enjoyable and interesting, although Hermione didn't have her usual enthusiasm for making top marks. She had spoken to Dumbledore about taking her NEWTS and received terrible news. According to Dumbledore, taking NEWTS would be basically useless for her. Technically, she didn't exist in this time. There were no records, muggle or magic, of her existence, so getting a wizarding job would be impossible, especially as the tensions of the oncoming war increased. Hermione hoped she would be home before she had to look for a job.

The time she spent with Regulus was making her worry. He was exceedingly quiet and moody. Hermione noticed the whole of Slytherin house acting a bit different. It made her nervous.

Hermione often found herself going over the events of the coming years in her head, trying to remember everything she had heard about the war. Once when the girls were flipping through magazines, Hermione caught herself mumbling Voldemort's name. She had looked around quickly, but thankfully none of the other girls had heard her.

As October started to come to a close, Hermione fell into a funk. The end of October meant the full moon was coming. And while Hermione wasn't as nervous as she had been before the first time, she was definitely not looking forward to another transformation.

And suddenly once again, the moon was three days away. This month however, Hermione couldn't hide in the boys' dormitories. She had to go to class. She struggled to sit through classes, which was a first for her. And by the end of Monday, she was relying on Lily for her class notes.

But nonetheless, Hermione still made it to the library to see Regulus.

* * *

**24 October 1977**

**The Library**

"You look like shit."

"Wow, and here I thought they taught all Purebloods manners."

"Doesn't apply to muggleborns." Despite the comment, Hermione knew Regulus was only trying to rile her up. He smirked at her in that childish way that just seemed to scream Regulus.

"Ha ha," Hermione deadpanned.

"No really though, are you okay?" Regulus reached out a hand. Hermione pulled back sharply.

"Sorry, uh, no touching. Not for the next couple of days. Believe me, I'm saving us both the embarrassment." Regulus pulled back his arm. Hermione sat down with a groan. Regulus raised an eyebrow.

"Everything hurts, Regulus. And not in an I'm-tired-I-need-to-sleep-all-day way. It's more like my muscles need to be used and pushed or they're going to explode. And it doesn't help that we had double potions with Slytherin today, no offense. Ugh, just looking at Snape's smug smirk made me what to- ugh, I don't even know."

Regulus was staring at Hermione with amusement in his eyes. He started gathering his things. Hermione panicked.

"Wait, no, Regulus! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you! I'll stop talking about it I promise." Regulus turned to Hermione; she looked on the verge of tears.

"Hey, hey, no, you didn't scare me. I just want to show you something. It might help. Grab your stuff." Regulus led Hermione out of the library and started heading down a familiar path through the castle. When they got to the seventh floor corridor, Hermione spoke up.

"Regulus, where are we going?"

"It's a secret. And I mean that literally. I don't know if anyone else knows about this place. I know my brother doesn't and if they don't know, I doubt anyone else does."

Something clicked in Hermione's brain. She watched Regulus pace in front of an empty wall three times before the etchings of a door started to appear.

She followed Regulus inside, completely unsure of what to expect in the Room of Requirement.

* * *

**The Room of Requirement**

Hermione didn't know whether to be shocked or not by the state of the room. She didn't know what she expected Regulus to dream up, but it sure wasn't what stood before her.

It was a small room. Big enough for plenty of movement, but much smaller than the room they had thought up for DA practice. The rafters were exposed. It smelled like fresh cut wood that had been sitting in the sun. A window was open near the ceiling. Hermione couldn't see out of it, but light was spilling through in beams. There was a small cupboard against the wall to the right, and in front of it sat a table and three chairs. And that was it.

Hermione followed Regulus as he stepped through the threshold. When they reached the center of the room, he turned to face her.

"This room can turn into anything you want it to," he started to explain. "You only have to think it, and it'll be here."

"What is this room, Regulus?" He shrugged.

"I want to help you. It's not really about what's in the room, just that we have a room away from people. I'm going to help you with your pent up aggression."

Hermione raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

"Sorry, what?" Regulus took a step back and shrugged off his bookbag and robes. He kicked them to the side and held his arms out wide.

"Hit me." Hermione's jaw dropped.

"What?"

"Hit me."

"Regulus, I'm not going to hit you. That's barbaric."

"I can take it, Hermione. And I didn't say I wasn't going to fight back."

"Regulus, no, this is crazy!" She shook her finger at him. "You're crazy!"

Hermione turned around to leave, but Regulus ran around her to block the door. He pressed himself up against the door and glared at her.

"Regulus, move. I'm not going to hit me." Regulus' stance softened a bit.

"Okay, how about you hit me once, just once, and I'll let you leave… if you want." Hermione glared back at Regulus.

"Ugh, fine."

The two moved back to the center of the room. Hermione pulled off her robes and folded them carefully before placing them on the table. She turned back to Regulus who had rolled up his sleeves and taken off his tie. She shook his head at his clothes lying in a heap on the ground.

She shook her hands by her side and danced on her toes. She stepped toward Regulus and pulled her arm back. The muscles in her arm felt like the string of a bow, tight and ready to release. And release she did. Hermione closed her eyes, awaiting impact.

But it never came.

She cracked one eye opened. Regulus had shifted away. The most annoying smile was plastered on his face. Hermione opened both eyes and stood back.

"Okay, I'm leaving."

"No you're not! You didn't hit me."

"You moved!"

"What did you expect? You were trying to hit me!" Regulus smiled playfully. "Come on, no leaving 'til you land one."

Hermione wrinkled her nose in frustration and rolled her shoulders back. She started to bounce on her toes. This time she didn't wait as long. As soon as she drew her arm back, she released it back at Regulus.

Who dodged it. Again.

"Stop doing that," Hermione growled. She could feel the anger building.

"Come on, Hermione. Channel the anger."

She tried to hit him again. And he dodged her again.

"Regulus. If you don't let me hit you-"

"You're going to what?" He was goading her. "Hit me?" Hermione growled again.

She tried a different approach, and Merlin if Regulus didn't dodge her again.

"How do you keep avoiding me?" She tried again. Dodge.

"Practice." Regulus winked. Hermione shivered a bit from anger.

She rolled her head around. Her neck cracked. Hermione stopped bouncing on her toes. She stopped moving all together and just glared at Regulus. Regulus kept moving side to side in anticipation, but after a moment he stopped.

"Hermione, come on," he said softly, moving forward toward her. "It's okay. You don't have to hit me. I was just tryin-"

Regulus and Hermione both cried out at the same time. Regulus clutched his face and Hermione clutched her hand.

"Holy-"

"Oh my-"

"You!" They both shouted at the same time.

"You didn't tell me it was going to hurt me!"

"I didn't think you were going to hit me that hard!"

"I'm a bloody werewolf, Regulus! What did you expect!" They glared at each other again and then burst into laughter.

"I can't believe you hit me."

"_I_ can't believe I hit you."

"How d'you feel?"

"Honestly?" Regulus nodded. "Kind of good. Okay, really good. Better."

Regulus rubbed his left cheek and then stretched his arms.

"Okay. Good. Again." He started bouncing on his toes like before. Hermione looked at him like he was crazy.

"What? Again? I already hit you."

"And you feel better."

"Yeah, but-"

"Just get it out Hermione, get it all out." Hermione looked at Regulus with a raised eyebrow before shrugging. She bounced on her toes before going at Regulus again.

It took her longer to land a hit this time. Regulus wouldn't be fooled twice. She was sweating. Hermione's muscles were starting to tire. Regulus kept goading her with little taunts. Not terribly mean, they were lighthearted, but with just enough truth that they got her blood boiling. To his credit though, he never used the word mudblood. Not once.

"Come on, Granger. Fight." "Show the Slytherin what a Muggleborn can do." "You ashamed of being a werewolf? Ashamed of what you are?" "Come on, fight me." "You can do better than that, Granger."

When she finally landed a hit, she couldn't stop. She was breaking into tears. She kept launching herself at Regulus, but she couldn't see anymore. All she could here was herself gasping. She lost form, but it didn't matter. Regulus had moved closer. He was holding her now, despite her relentlessly beating at his chest.

He held her as she struggled, as she cried. He held her until she stopped fighting. And when she did, he pushed her out to arms length and smiled at her, pride filling his eyes.

"How do you feel?" He asked softly. She blinked up at him before whispering.

"Thank you."

* * *

Regulus wore the bruise she had given him proudly on his cheek. The cupboard in the corner had been filled with healing supplies, but he had refused to use them on his face. He wanted her to remember every time she saw him. Hermione had to pinch herself to keep from crying again.

She was so happy and empty of rage when she returned to the common room that she didn't notice the stares she received from two of the Marauders. She didn't see how their heads cocked to the side when she walked by. She didn't see them wrinkle their noses and sneeze. She didn't see their faces full of confusion and worry and hurt.

* * *

**A/N:** Don't think I'm just blowing Hermione and Sirius' kiss under the rug. I'm not ignoring it, I promise. We've just got to let them work it out for themselves. Silly kids.

Thank you for reading, as always. Please review (if you see fit). And I'm on tumblr as vulpeculum if you want to see my fancast. I'm always open to suggestions, too!

Much love! -V.


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **Big thanks to **Makaira.69**. Your reviews were amazing and made me so, so happy. Please check out the fanart Makaira did on my tumblr (vulpeculum)! Everyone seems to love Regulus which makes me so happy. I'm really quite proud of what I've done with him, so thank you. :) I hope you all like this chapter. It's one of my favorites.

**ThisIsMe79**: The Marauders aren't all hurt exactly. The two Marauders who looked upset were Sirius and Remus, because they could smell Regulus on Hermione. Remus is just confused, but it seems to have affected Sirius more.

**mikaelf77**: Unfortunately, Hermione isn't going to end up with Regulus, but he'll be sticking around for a while!

* * *

**Chapter 23: Wax On, Wax Off**

**26 October 1977 **

**Room of Requirement**

If Monday had been bad, Tuesday was worse. After classes on Tuesday, Hermione met with Regulus again.

And if Tuesday was worse, Wednesday was... unbearable. Remus and Hermione slugged through their classes. They took turns nudging each other awake. It had seemed like a good plan until Charms class when they both fell asleep at the same time. Thankfully, they had merely gotten a warning.

"Psst, Hermione," James had whispered in the middle of Transfiguration. "Do you have plans tonight?" Hermione had rolled her eyes.

"Of course not, James."

"Well now you do! Midnight, common room, wear comfortable shoes." He turned back to listen to Professor McGonagall, not giving Hermione any time to argue.

After classes, Remus shuffled back to the tower for a nap and a bar (or two) of chocolate. Hermione was left wandering the corridors in confusion. Remus was a mess, and so was she. But… Remus was exhausted, falling apart, empty. Hermione on the other hand, she was full. Full of anger, energy, sadness, rage, power. Her body ached with the power of a thousand drums. Her skin felt tight and raw.

She ran to the library, grabbed Regulus, and pulled him all the way to the Room of Requirement. She paced angrily three times. She was breathing heavy. She pushed open the door and waited for Regulus to come in.

He walked in slowly behind her, wary of her crazed state. For a moment, he deeply regretted what he had started. He saw in her eyes the same look he had seen the day they met. But then he noticed something, something deep in the corner of Hermione's left eye.

A crack. It was small and delicate, but a crack nonetheless. And it was so close to splitting open. Hermione was one crack away from falling apart.

"Help me, Regulus," she managed to get out. She ripped off her robes as if they burned her skin. Regulus removed his as well.

And they fought.

Hermione was careful to avoid Regulus' face this time, but truly she didn't come close to hitting him in the face again. She realized he had been going easy on her before. It pained her to think of how Regulus got so good at dodging punches. She pushed the thought to the side. She would worry about Regulus on Friday, after the moon.

* * *

She didn't cry this time, which she saw as an improvement. And when they were done, they applied healing salve to the blooming bruises on their shoulders and ribs. Hermione felt a little guilty at the pride she felt when she saw the effects of her strength on Regulus, just a little guilty.

And when she got back to the tower, she passed by her friends without a word.

Looking in the mirror was a bit surreal. Before meeting with Regulus, she had looked crazed, like she was hopped up on some raging caffeine high. But now, now she very much resembled Remus. She looked tired and haggard, weak. But while her outside looked weak, Hermione knew deep down, she was strong.

* * *

**Gryffindor Common Room**

Hermione waited until midnight rolled around before descending the stairs. The Marauders were sitting by the fire waiting for her.

"Hello boys," she smiled. James and Peter looked up at her with smiling faces. She looked at Remus who smiled weakly. Sirius didn't pick his head up from the map.

"It's the last prerequisite, Pup." Hermione thought James' smile couldn't get any bigger. "We're going pranking."

"Huh, and what exactly did you have in mind?"

"The Slytherins have been getting a bit too comfortable for my taste. What do you think, Padfoot?"

"Quite right, Prongs, quite right." Looking at Sirius and James, Hermione was instantly reminded of Fred and George.

"Okay, if we're doing this, we're doing this now." Remus was smiling, but his eyes were tired. Where Sirius and James looked every bit like raven-haired Weasley twins, Remus resembled himself, twenty years in the future. Peter patted him on the shoulder.

"Chin up, Moony, you could use a spot of fun. Laughter _is_ the best medicine." Hermione followed the Marauders out of the common room. James had his nose stuck in the map. Remus was holding the cloak, looking very much like he would pull it over himself and sink to the ground at any moment.

"So, is anyone going to explain to me what exactly we're doing?"

"Patience, Pup." James looked up from the map for a split second before ducking down again. "Okay, we've got about a two minute window to get down three flights of stairs and across seven corridors. Then we can take the Harpy Passageway, and we're basically in the clear. Ready, let's go."

The pack of five moved swiftly through the castle. Peter had transformed and scurried ahead. He gave out paced squeaks to let them know the coast was still clear. Hermione and Sirius were awkwardly huddled under the invisibility cloak. The two eighteen-year-olds were much too big to be sharing the cloak, not to mention the strange tension hanging over them. Remus and James walked beside them. As a prefect and head boy, they had a bit of leniency and were more likely to escape without a detention.

Once they reached the Harpy Passageway, Sirius practically ripped off the invisibility cloak to get away from Hermione. Hermione looked down, hurt, unsure of what had happened between her and Sirius in the last few days.

"Okay, now to the good part," James started walking backwards, leading the pack down the passageway like a tour guide. "This one's got a couple parts to it, so we each get a task. Moony, you're going down to the kitchens to talk to the house elves. Start with Lido, you know she loves you. Peter, you and I are going to the Slytherin Dungeon. We've got to set up some timed wards and that'll take a while. Pup, you and Padfoot are going to the Great Hall. Set up a timed transfiguration spell. Padfoot fill Hermione in on your way down there.

"Okay, we've got a small window to do this. Peter set up a couple of dung bombs in the library earlier, so once they go off, we've got about an hour to get this all done."

They arrived at the exit of the passageway. James cast a tempus charm, and the pack watched as the seconds ticked by.

"Okay… and… go!"

* * *

**The Great Hall**

Sirius was being quiet. Too quiet. Yes, they were supposed to be quiet, but this was different. As they snuck down the hallway toward the Great Hall, Hermione snuck a look at Sirius. But he avoided her glare and busied himself with the Map. James had let Sirius and Hermione take the Map since neither had the authority to walk around the halls of Hogwarts after curfew.

"So, um, what exactly are we doing?" Sirius sighed quite dramatically.

"We're going to set up a timed transfiguration spell."

"Yes, James said that already."

"It's a clothing transfiguration spell. James and Peter are setting up spells to delay the Slytherins to breakfast tomorrow so that they pass through these doors at the right time. Then once they walk through, their clothes will transform."

"And Remus' part?" Sirius' eyes twinkled.

"You'll have to wait and see."

As they started to set up the spell, Hermione was in awe of Sirius. The complexity and intricateness of the work was incredible. Sirius had scoffed when she tried to compliment him on it. The hour was almost up when they finally finished. They stepped back away from the door with matching smiles of pride. The hinges of the doorway shimmered slightly with the waiting spells.

"Did you see someone, my pet? Where did they go? Students out of bed..." The pair whipped around at the sound of Filch, panic flooding their systems. Hermione and Sirius looked at each other; there was nowhere to run. Hermione looked tired, worn-down, and definitely not ready for a chase.

"Hide," whispered Sirius. "I'll distract him. Just hide until he's gone."

"No, Sirius, wait!"

"Hermione, just hide." And then he was off, right hand balled in a fist and the Map in his left. _The Map._

_We lost the Map two months into seventh year because I let Filch catch me as a distraction._

_Oh no._

Hermione took off after Sirius, intent on warning him and completely forgetting Dumbledore's warning.

"Nowhere to hide, now. McGonagall's office, Mr. Black." Hermione rounded the corner just as she heard Filch's voice. Her eyes widened in shock as she literally barreled into Filch.

Filch pushed Hermione off as if she was dust on his shoulder.

"And take your friend with you, Black," he sneered. Sirius was looking at Hermione like she was as dumb as a troll.

Hermione and Sirius started to leave, but Filch stopped Sirius with a hand to his chest.

"And I'll be taking this." Sirius watched in horror as Filch swiped away the Marauders Map. Hermione's heart fell.

* * *

**Seventh Year Boys Dormitory**

"You lost it?!" James was currently losing his mind back in the boys' dormitory. Sirius was sitting on his bed letting James berate him. Hermione stepped in.

"It wasn't his fault, James. It was mine." James turned to face Hermione. "Sirius was going to let himself get caught so I could get away, but I messed up. Filch wouldn't have noticed the Map if I hadn't been there." Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Don't listen to her, Prongs. I had the Map in my hands, didn't even hide it. It's my fault." James thought for a second.

"Sorry, Pup, Padfoot's right. It's his fault." Hermione huffed and threw up her arms. "Detention?"

"He didn't catch us doing anything, just that we were out of bed, so McGonagall just gave us one detention."

"When?"

"Tomorrow." This got Remus' attention.

"Tomorrow?" Hermione turned to Remus.

"We should be done before the moon rises. She kind of hinted at it." Remus nodded in understanding.

"Good," said James. "We'll have to discuss your punishment later, Padfoot, but we'll wait until the moon is over." Sirius nodded in complete understanding. He had broken a rule and must accept his fate. James' hardened face softened and he broke out into a smile.

"But you got the spell work done, right?" Sirius returned the smile.

"Oh yes we did." James did a little dance, earning laughs from the rest. Hermione and Sirius' detention was forgotten as the Marauders talked excitedly about the next morning.

* * *

**27 October 1977**

**The Great Hall**

The Marauders were early to breakfast, practically the first ones there besides a couple of Hufflepuffs. Other students started to trickle in until the Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff tables were full. And yet the Slytherins were missing. The Marauders and Hermione ate quickly and waited.

A growing grumble started to grow as the Slytherins neared the Great Hall. But as the house passed through the threshold, they were hit with Hermione and Sirius' spell work.

Their clean and neat sliver and green robes were suddenly replaced with simple, rough rags draped across their bodies. With gasps, shouts, and a couple high-pitched screams, the Slytherins started panicking at their new clothes. As they stood grouped around the entrance to the Great Hall, a series of pops were heard.

From around the knees of Slytherins, house elves started to appear.

Dressed in miniature Slytherin robes.

The entire hall, save the Slytherins, burst into laughter as the house elves moved past the shocked Slytherins to the Slytherin table. Hermione snuck a look up to the professors' table and nudged Remus as she saw both Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall trying to hide their smiles.

The Slytherins were frozen in shock. Some were clearly upset. Hermione didn't know Snape's face could get so red. But some were taking it in stride, starting to laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation. The house elves were totally ignoring the rest of the room, talking amongst themselves and eating the food before them. Hermione turned to Remus.

"How did you get them to do this?" She was shocked. Hermione remembered her work with SPEW and her struggle with the house elves of Hogwarts.

"It was easy really. You just have to treat them like your equals. They love their work, but they don't mind a bit of fun. They were excited to be part of the prank." Remus' face became sheepish. "And I had to promise Lido that I'd bring you back for a meal." Hermione laughed and nudged him with her shoulder.

"Silence, please!" Dumbledore's voice echoed through the hall. The students quieted and looked up to the headmaster. "Just a moment please. My dear house elves, it is so nice to see you this morning, but you must be getting back to the kitchens. The students have class soon."

The Slytherins looked at the house elves expectantly, but the house elves all turned and looked at them.

"Tut, tut, off with you then." The Slytherins looked up at Dumbledore and a second round of laughter filled the room. The house elves went back to eating and the confused Slytherins shuffled from the room. The rest of the hall cheered.

* * *

Despite the horrendous odor of the potion of the day, Hermione had never had a better potions class. The Slytherins, it seemed, used the prank to their advantage as none of them had showed up for morning classes. Instead, the house elves, in their tiny Slytherin robes, went to classes. The whole morning was quite disruptive, but the students were in such a happy mood, the professors continued to play along.

By lunch time, though, Dumbledore had sorted out the clothing issue with the Slytherins, and order returned to Hogwarts. Hermione's cheeks were sore from smiling all morning.

But the joy from the morning prank faded quickly after lunch. With no more distractions, Remus and Hermione were left to sit and suffer through their pre-moon pain.

When classes finished, Hermione once again parted with Remus and headed to find her Slytherin friend. Regulus was waiting for her outside the library. He hadn't even bothered walking inside. He knew she needed the Room.

It was worse, this time. Regulus and Hermione didn't talk at all. Their fighting was more aggressive.

After a while of almost constant fighting, Hermione finally stopped. Taking a step back to catch her breath, Hermione cast a quick tempus.

"Merlin!" She started to gather her things together. "Sorry, Regulus, I have to go. Detention."

"Tonight? But isn't-"

"Yes, but I've still got detention." She waved back at Regulus as she ran from the room. He shouted after her to no avail.

"But your bruises!"

* * *

**The Trophy Room**

Hermione and Sirius were cleaning the trophy room without magic. And it was already going _really well_. Hermione had come straight from meeting with Regulus and Sirius had yet to talk to her. They cleaned in silence before Hermione couldn't take it anymore.

"Did I do something?"

"What?"

"Was it something I did? Is this because of what happened at the Shack?"

"What are you talking about?" Hermione started to ramble.

"I thought we were okay after it. I didn't think it was a big deal, but now you won't talk to me, and I don't know what I did, and I don't know how to fix it."

"Just, just stop, okay. Stop talking." Sirius' voice was void of emotion. "It's fine. I'm fine. We're fine. Let's just get this over with." Hermione sulked with defeat. She moved by Sirius and stood on her tiptoes, reaching for a trophy on a shelf.

"What the fuck is that!?" Hermione, still reaching, looked at Sirius. His eyes were glued to the portion of her stomach showing where her shirt had ridden up. Hermione's arms shot down, and she jumped away from Sirius.

"Nothing."

"That's not nothing, Hermione. What. The. Fuck. Is. That?" Hermione hardened her gaze.

"I said it's nothing, Sirius." He moved closer to Hermione. She stepped away, her back hitting the wall.

"Don't make me ask again. Lift up your shirt." Hermione's eyes widened.

"What? No!"

"Lift up your shirt, or I'll do it for you." Sirius took another step forward.

"Okay, okay," Hermione said defensively. She fiddled with the hem of her shirt for a second before taking a breath and lifting her shirt to show her stomach, folding it and holding it over her chest. She had three large bruises blooming across her ribs. Keeping her eyes downcast, she could practically smell the rage coming from Sirius.

"Did _he_ do this to you?" He asked through gritted teeth. "Answer me, Hermione."

"Who?" Sirius took another step forward.

"Did my _brother_ do this to you?" Sirius spat out the word.

"No, no, Sirius, you don't understand." Sirius ignored her.

"Is this what you've been doing with him? He's been _hurting _you?" Hermione dropped her shirt and put her arm out, stopping Sirius from stepping closer.

"Sirius, stop, you don't understand-"

"Like hell I don't! He can't treat you like this, Hermione! I'm going to kill him. No, I'm going to make him wish I've killed him. I-"

"He's not treating me like anything, Sirius! He's helping me!"

"_Helping_ you?" His voice dripped with disgust.

"Yes, helping. With my pre-moon stuff." Sirius took a step back, hurt flashing in his eyes before they hardened again.

"Hermione, _we_ help Remus. We can help you, too. I don't know what you think you're doing, but _that_ doesn't look like help."

"No, it's not that. I- I don't suffer the way Remus does. I don't really know why, but it's not the same. He gets weaker and sick, but I…" She blinked and scrunched her nose, feeling the threat of tears. "There's so much anger and violence in my bones, Sirius. I can feel it in my blood. And it hurts. And I have to get it out. And Regulus helps.

"If you think this is bad, you should see him." She tried to crack a smile. Sirius' hardened face melted.

"You're fighting him?" He whispered. Hermione nodded and lowered the volume of her voice as well.

"I have to get it out, Sirius." A single tear fell down her cheek. She looked away, embarrassed.

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"It's embarrassing, Sirius. And terrifying." Hermione looked deep into his eyes. "This rage, this, this fire, it scares me. There's so much and I don't- I don't understand where it came from."

Sirius put his hands on Hermione's shoulders. Hermione let the warmth of his hands soothe her, but kept the mental image of her rope, held in place, braid by braid.

"I'm sorry." Sirius sounded sad. He stepped away from her in silence, unsure of what to say or do. Hermione looked at him.

"I'm sorry, too. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, and I'm sorry I went to Regulus." Sirius nodded and turned away, staring at the wall.

"Shit!" He shouted suddenly, turning back to Hermione. "Pup, we're late. We've got to go." Hermione looked at the clock on the wall, her mind spinning from the emotional rollercoaster. They were late. They were supposed to meet Remus, Peter, and James at the Whomping Willow five minutes ago. And they still had to run back to the common room. Hermione looked at Sirius.

"We need to run."

* * *

**Gryffindor Common Room**

"Sirius, what are you doing? I need to go! We need to go!"

"Two seconds, give me two seconds!" Hermione was pacing the common room, her transformation t-shirt in hand. Her skin was starting to itch. Students in the common room were starting to stare. Hermione ignored them.

"Sirius, if you don't get down here in-"

"Calm down, woman, I'm here." Sirius jumped down the staircase and ran out the door in front of her. "Come on, Pup! We're late!"

* * *

**The Whomping Willow**

As Sirius and Hermione ran down the hill, they could see James standing at the base of the frozen tree.

"We're coming, we're coming! Go ahead!" Sirius shouted to James. James shot up a thumbs up and darted into the passageway. Hermione's eyes widened.

"Sirius…" The Willow was starting to twitch. Sirius noticed as well.

"Shit." Hermione pushed her legs harder, her lycanthropy allowing her to push ahead of Sirius. She looked back in worry.

"Keep going, Pup! I'll make it!"

A few small branches were starting to twitch. Larger branches were swaying with ominous power.

Hermione reached the base of the tree.

"Get down there now!" Sirius shouted before she could look back at him. She ducked into the passageway, hoping Sirius would get there in time.

Hermione crawled forward to give Sirius room to land. She heard the whooshing of branches and winced as the ground shook. She heard Sirius curse and shout in pain.

And then suddenly he was falling down the passage.

"Sirius!" Hermione shouted and lunged for him. He winced and she pulled back, noticing his shoulder was bleeding. She helped him to his feet.

"Why on earth did you take so long?" She gently hit his uninjured shoulder. "What was so important we couldn't have left the common room five seconds earlier?"

Sirius smiled and presented Hermione with a bundle of fabric.

"Whisky towel."

Hermione threw her arms around Sirius' neck, embracing him. Sirius grunted as pain flashed through his shoulder, but he embraced Hermione back anyway. Hermione clung to him, squeezing him tight before pulling back.

"You stupid boy," she said, smiling up at Sirius. "You stupid, stupid boy." Sirius smiled back at her and flung the red and gold towel over his shoulder.

"Come on, Pup, we've got a moon to catch."

* * *

**A/N:** I already got a review concerning Sirius and "Take off your shirt or I'll do it for you," so I thought I should address it now. First off, he said lift not take. He wasn't asking Hermione to strip, just to show her stomach. I'm not excusing his behavior. He was obviously very aggressive, but I'm not writing Sirius to be perfect. He is a flawed character (as he should be because human beings are flawed). But he is coming from a place of concern not a place of sexual dominance. And Hermione knows that. That is why she lifts her shirt, because she knows he cares and deserves the truth. Not because he is harassing her and she is being submissive or anything like that. Okay, now I'm done.

All that being said I hope you like this one! It's super long for you as a reward for all the amazing praise you've showered me with. I'm so grateful. Keep it coming! All your reviews are great motivators for me to write. Let me know what you all think of the prank, too. I tried to try to keep away from the stereotype-Slytherin in their reactions so I hope that translated well.

Much Love. -V.


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **Back by popular demand! Regulus! This chapter is short, I'm not going to lie. But I'm hoping since last chapter was extra long, you all might forgive me. *fingers crossed*

**To ****Cynder2013**: On more Gryffindors not figuring out the whole werewolf thing: My thinking is this, they haven't found out about Remus so far, so maybe they don't know how to spot one hiding under their noses. From my "research," the most restrictive anti-werewolf legislation coming from the Ministry was introduced in the 90s by Umbridge. So I'm thinking werewolves weren't heavily stressed in school because they weren't such a big topic politically at the time. Yes they were discriminated against and thought to be dangerous, but they weren't as poorly treated as they were after Umbridge.

**DanceAnna:** Hermione has already encounter all of the things Sirius mentioned before she left. They were just a few things Sirius wanted her to know before she left. They were more like a starting guide than a checklist, if that makes sense.

* * *

**Chapter 24: A Halloween to Remember**

**30 October 1977**

**The Library **

Hermione was quickly learning the ropes of this whole werewolf mess. The three days before the moon and the three days after the moon, she was quickly realizing, were almost as bad as the moon itself. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured this time around. Although, apparently Pup had been a little too eager to chase Peter. Hermione brushed this off as Pup being playful and not fully recognizing Wormtail as a friend.

Hermione bounced back from the moon a bit faster than Remus. This was just one of the differences between the two of them that was keeping her up at night. By everything she knew about werewolves, they should have the same symptoms, especially since Remus was the one who bit her. So why was she so different? And on top of that, she had just experienced her first two full moons. Her original plan had been to return to Harry and Ron and Sirius after two months. Hermione had taken to clutching her necklace like a lifetime, willing it to take her home.

Her two months were up. Why was she still here? Why wasn't she back yet? How long was she supposed to stay here? Was there anything she could do? Or did she just have to let the chips fall on their own? Hermione wanted to hide herself away in the library to research, but she had already promised time to worry about another. So when she was feeling up to it, she carefully approached Regulus.

"Hi," she said simply as she sat down at their table. Regulus barely looked up from his potions essay. "I wanted to thank you, for your help before- before, well you know."

"No problem."

"I really mean it. I really appreciated it. Sirius sort of found out we were spending extra time together so I had to explain to him-" Regulus scoffed.

"Bet that went well." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I think you know exactly how well it went." She lowered her voice. "He saw my bruises." Regulus straightened his shoulders.

"He thought I was beating you, didn't he?" Hermione nodded. Regulus shook his head. "He never was one for sharing."

"Excuse me?"

"Sharing. Sirius doesn't share well." Regulus threw his hands up in defense at Hermione's glare. "Hey, I'm not suggesting you're an object or anything. I'm just saying, his behavior has a pattern."

A bit of an awkward silence fell around them.

"So, did you tell him the truth?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"He was surprised. I think he's trying to understand, but it's hard for him. Remus isn't like that around the moon. He's more primal, yes, but not so full of… of…"

"Rage? Power? Madness?"

"I was going to say energy." Regulus laughed and Hermione smiled. "I think he's more hurt I didn't go to one of them about it."

"They wouldn't help you." Regulus shook his head. "They can't see that part of you, not like I can. They won't let themselves see you as something dangerous."

"But why can you see me like that?"

"We're the same." Regulus said it like it explained everything. Hermione raised an eyebrow and Regulus sighed. "Okay, it's like this. The first time we met? Remember that? I saw it then." Regulus lifted two fingers to his right eye.

"It's in your eyes. There's a hardness to them, but it's softer. Like you have this survival instinct and these walls, but they've only been recently fortified. I'm guessing it has to do with why you transferred here. I've got it, too.

"You've been through shit, that much is obvious. There's darkness in your eyes, too. Not a bad darkness, not evil or anything, but more like I know you're capable of going to extraordinary lengths for people you care about."

Hermione was speechless. She just sat there blinking at Regulus before she spoke.

"Really, is there anything you don't know?" Regulus chuckled. Hermione fell serious again. "You said you have it, too. But… I mean, doesn't Sirius?"

"My brother has a million walls and a chip on his shoulder that's been growing for years. Yeah, he's got a hardness in his eyes, but I dunno, I think it's Potter that did it to him. He thinks he's special, like he's the only one who can justify having walls. I don't think he even considers the possibility of others suffering like him.

"He may try to understand you, and maybe he does get it, I don't know. But I don't think he'll be able to see what you're capable of, not for a long time."

Hermione didn't respond. For an hour, they both sat there. Hermione read her charms text, and Regulus had forgone his potions essay to sketch again. It took Hermione a while to gather the courage to ask the question that had been on her mind all week.

"Regulus," she started softly. "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"Practice," Regulus grunted, not looking up from his sketch.

"I may be a muggleborn, but I do know that's not normal for a pureblood to know." Regulus looked up at this.

"No offense, Hermione, but I don't think you know a lot about how pureblood families work." His tone bit into Hermione. She winced.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. Please forgive me. I just, I care about you, Regulus. I… I-"

"I'm fine, Hermione. I've learned how to survive, and I'm good at it. You don't need to worry about me, yet."

"Yet?" Hermione furrowed her brows. Regulus looked like he was really regretting his last words. "What do you mean yet?"

"Forget it, it's fine. I'm fine. Everything is fine." Regulus started gathering his books. Hermione reached out a hand to stop him, grabbing his forearm. Regulus twitched, and Hermione realized she had grabbed the arm with the mark.

"I'm not going to press, Regulus. I don't expect you to tell me anything, but… I'm here. I'm here and I trust you and I'll be there for you." She looked deep into his eyes, trying to tell his more than what she was saying. But she knew she couldn't.

Regulus nodded silently and pulled his arm from her grasp. He put his books in his bag and handed Hermione the sketch he was working on before leaving the library. Hermione looked at the parchment.

He had sketched her again. But this was the first one with the scar over her eye. Hermione stared at herself on the page, focused on the scar. She didn't know what she was supposed to feel.

* * *

**31 October 1977**

**Gryffindor Common Room**

"Ugh, why do we have to have school on a day like today?" James groaned into his charms book. "I mean look outside! The weather is perfect and we're stuck inside!"

Peter craned his neck to look out the window. The sky looked like an angry sea, and lightning was terrorizing the grounds.

"Take it up with Professor Twitchet, Prongs. She's the one who set an exam for tomorrow." Remus didn't look up from his notes. "Lily do you have notes from Friday? I can't understand my own writing."

Lily shuffled over from her table across the room and placed her charms notes over Remus'. She smiled at the werewolf before returning to her side of the room. James watched her the whole time.

"Ouch!" James shouted rubbing his shin. "What was that for?"

"You were staring again," chuckled Sirius. James shrugged, smiling.

"Can't help it."

At that moment, Hermione bounded down the stairs, making a beeline for James.

"James! I need your help!" She bent down to whisper in his ear. "Grab the cloak and meet me outside."

Hermione smiled at the other Marauders, spinning her beaded bag in her hand. She waited patiently for James to return and the pair left.

"Okay, what's up? What are we doing?" Hermione smiled.

"It's Halloween! We're going to celebrate. But first we need supplies!" Hermione led James down the familiar pathway to the kitchens. When they arrived, Hermione called out for Lido, who appeared within seconds.

"Master Remus' friend!" She shouted happily, but her face fell when she saw James. She looked at Hermione with big eyes. "Where is Master Remus? Is Master Remus okay?"

"Oh, no, Lido, Remus is fine. I just brought James with me today." Lido narrowed her eyes at Hermione.

"Why no Master Remus?"

"Because we're trying to surprise him!" Lido accepted this answer and nodded.

"Then what can Lido do for Master Remus' friend?"

"I need sweets, Lido," Hermione said as she opened up her beaded bag. She pulled from its depths a huge basket. James stared at her with wonder. "I need sweets, and pastries, and candy, and anything sugary. I need you to make this basket overflow. Can you do that?"

"Of course. No problem for Lido." Lido reached out and took the basket from Hermione before scurrying off to fill it. Hermione turned to James.

"You've got to teach me that," he said, pointing at her bag. Hermione smiled.

* * *

**Gryffindor Common Room**

"Marauders meeting right now, boys," James announced as he and Hermione returned. Both looked extremely happy, but Remus noticed Hermione was practically cradling her bag.

"Lily, will you bring the girls up to the boys room?" Lily raised an eyebrow at Hermione.

"Why?" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I'm trying to be sneaky, Lily. Just help me, yeah?" Lily smiled.

"Alright." She turned to the other girls at her table. "You heard her, up the stairs we go."

When everyone finally made it up to the Marauders' room, it felt like a true celebration. Candy and sweets came overflowing from Hermione's bag. Sirius had, with only a little prodding, graciously offered to share some of his firewhisky stash. And Remus, too, had put a few of his sacred chocolate bars in the mix.

Mary had gotten her radio and lively music was blaring from the tiny speakers. Lily and James were dancing around the room. Hermione laughed as Lily allowed James to dip her before she spun away to dance with Dorcas and Marlene. James was beaming. Hermione didn't think she'd ever seen him look happier.

Sirius was sitting on the window seat, cigarette in hand, blowing smoke out into the stormy night. The sound of thunder mixed with the music and seemed to fill everyone's bodies with a constant thrumming. The lightning lit up the dark room like the flash of a camera. Hermione imagined the sky capturing pictures of them.

Flash. James and Peter tossing each other candy to catch in their mouths.

Flash. Lily and Remus sitting side by side, swaying in time with the music.

Flash. Dorcas, Mary, and Marlene hand-in-hand spinning in a circle.

Flash. Sirius pulling his cigarette from his lips, smoke following it like exhaust.

Flash. Hermione, watching her friends with a smile plastered on her face.

The Gryffindors toasted to friendship and fun, and much more to come with the second half of the school year. And they were happy. While Hermione watched her friends revel in the spirit of Halloween, Peter made his way over to her.

"So why all this?" He gestured around the room. He hiccupped before continuing. "Why so much effort into Halloween? You know it's not that big of a deal in the wizarding community."

Hermione chose her words very carefully.

"I wanted them to have a happy memory of this day, one where we're all together, just one happy memory."

* * *

**1 November 1977**

**Charms Classroom**

Nine Gryffindors sat at their desks early Tuesday morning, groaning simultaneously. The girls were all rubbing their foreheads, trying to will away their headaches. Peter looked green, like he would be sick any second. Remus was resting facedown on his desk, moaning every few seconds. Sirius had yet to remove his sunglasses.

James nudged Hermione softly with his shoulder. She blinked tiredly and looked at him. He was grinning from ear to ear.

"Worth it."

* * *

**A/N:** Thank you for reading. Your support has been so wonderful and inspiring. Let me know what you think of this chapter!

(Shoutout to **93 Diagon Alley** and **MaddAlice** for catching my mistake with the map. All fixed now. Thank you!)

Much Love. -V.


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **A thousand and one apologies, my dear readers. I moved this weekend and on top of that, my muse decided to up and leave. I know, I know, this chapter is rough. I'm not entirely pleased with it. It's mainly filler, but it was needed as well. I hope to have the next chapter up soon!

**LJ Summers:** On Hermione "leaving her brain in the 90's" - While Hermione is still very much a studious witch, she's ruled much more by her emotions and instinct because of the lycanthropy (especially closer to the moon). Also, you mentioned the absence of Hermione-as-wolf brain stuff, don't worry it's coming. This is part of the ongoing issue of Hermione and Remus suffering differently. But spoilers!

* * *

**Chapter 25: Whirlwind **

The weeks were passing quickly now. The year was coming to an end, and Hermione wasn't sure if she was ready or not. The end of the year meant a break from school, time to reflect and figure things out, but it also meant the end of 1977… and the beginning of 1978.

Luckily, Hermione had plenty to distract her. She spent her weeks in the library with Regulus, in the common room with the Marauders, and staying up late with Lily and the girls. She spent her weekends down at the quidditch pitch cheering on James and quietly cheering on Regulus (but only if Gryffindor wasn't playing). She constantly surrounded herself with her friends, so she didn't have to think about the cold weight of moonstone sitting on her chest.

* * *

**19 November 1977**

**Hogsmeade Village **

Hogsmeade was abuzz, as the students of Hogwarts had returned for the weekend. Hermione was frantically trying to hit every shop in order to get all her Christmas shopping done. Shopping for the girls had been easy, much to Hermione's surprise. But then again, they weren't Lavender or Pavarti.

The boys were more difficult to shop for. Hermione wandered all through the shops hoping something would jump out at her. She wanted to get each of the Marauders something meaningful. Well, not each of them, but she couldn't just get Peter a sack of candy from Honeydukes.

Hermione ducked around a group of second years into Spintwitches Sporting Needs. Hopefully she could at least find something for James.

"-and that's not all. Last week, I heard he was caught with some Ravenclaw in Slughorn's office _by_ Slughorn!"

"No! Really?" Hermione tried to push her way around a group of girls gathered by the wall of catalogs displaying "Quidditch's Foxiest Players" and "Players and Keepers: Who's Who in the Quidditch World." The girls ignored Hermione and filled the aisle.

"A Ravenclaw? But wasn't he with a Slytherin last week?"

"Oh honestly, Amanda, this is Sirius Black we're talking about. Do you honestly think he'd keep a _Slytherin_ around for that long?" Hermione froze at the mention of Sirius. She busied herself with a copy of _Which Broomstick_, tilting her head to hear the gossipers more clearly.

"What was her name? Do I know her?"

"Does it matter?" Hermione winced at the mixture of squealing and giggling.

"Ugh that Sirius Black…"

"Really though, I mean I would sooooo go there."

"Oh yeah, no question. I mean he'd probably break my heart-"

"Oh, no doubt about it! I'd be crushed, but-"

"But so worth it!"

"So worth it!"

Hermione scoffed, shoved the magazine back with the others and turned on her heel. She could hear the girls laughing at her, but she didn't care. Her face felt hot, and she just wanted to get out into the cold air.

Hermione wasn't stupid. This wasn't the first time she had heard girls talking about Sirius. And Merlin, how many times did she have to listen to Harry and Ron talk about Sirius' past like it was the true definition of glory days? But she didn't want to hear it anymore. For some reason it was getting under her skin. Suddenly feeling worn out from shopping, Hermione darted in the Three Broomsticks, eager to reunite with Lily and warm herself with butterbeer.

"Hermione!" Lily called from a cozy booth in the corner. Hermione's mood brightened immediately at the sight of the redhead.

"Hi!" Hermione slid into the seat across from Lily. "Where are the others?"

"Still shopping, but I think they'll be here soon. Did you get all your shopping done?"

"No," Hermione sighed. "But I figure I have a little extra time. I can always give them to everybody when we come back."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I was thinking I could ask Dumbledore if I could come to Hogsmead during the holiday."

"Wait, you're not going home?" Lily stared at Hermione with wide eyes. Hermione smiled sadly at her. "Wait, I'm sorry, forget I said that."

"It's okay, Lily."

"So, you'll be here then? All by yourself?"

"I'm sure I won't be the only student staying behind. I'll be okay." Lily opened her mouth to protest, but at that moment Madame Rosmerta came to their table to take their order. After she left, all talk of the winter holidays was through.

* * *

**24 November 1977**

**Gryffindor Common Room**

Hermione was more in control now, of her emotions and actions that is. Unlike last month, Hermione was able to calmly walk around the halls of Hogwarts like a normal witch instead of a burning ball of fire. After classes, she walked with Remus back to the Seventh Floor and dropped off her books. As she descended the stairs again, she caught Sirius' eye.

Sirius got up from the table where he was playing chess with Peter. He walked purposefully over to Hermione, stopping her before she got to the door.

"So this is really a thing now?" Hermione looked away. "Every month you're going to run off to my brother for help?"

"Sirius," Hermione's voice was soft. She may have been full of pent up aggression, but she didn't want to fight with Sirius. "We've talked about this."

"I know, I know, he helps you." Sirius ran a hand through his raven locks. "I just- dammit, Pup, I just don't like it. Why don't you let me help? Or Prongs? That's what we're here for."

Hermione felt terrible looking into Sirius' eyes. She knew this was killing him. She looked at him sadly.

"You wouldn't fight back. And, and I don't think I would want you to." Hermione put a hand on Sirius' arm. "And you do help me, Sirius. You may not think so, but you do. Just by being here, being here for me."

Sirius looked away. Hermione stepped closer.

"Sirius, I-"

"It's okay. I'll get over it. You gotta do what you gotta do, Pup. I'm with you."

"You are?"

"Just, just come straight back when you're done. You don't have to spend any extra time with him." Hermione smiled, knowing she needed to say only what Sirius wanted to hear.

"I promise." She pulled back her arm and starting moving toward the door.

"Hermione?" She turned around. "If there's anything _I_ can do; if there's anything you need…"

Hermione nodded and walked out the door to meet the other son of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.

* * *

**26 November 1977**

**Shrieking Shack**

It wasn't so much a loss of self. Sure she never really remembered what she did, but Hermione was now used to waking up the next day with a lingering feeling of contentment. It wasn't just any old type of contentment either. It was more the kind of contentment that follows the feeling of absolute, unadulterated freedom. She probably should have been scared when it happened or at least guilty or ashamed. But despite the dull pain in every single one of her muscles, she couldn't help but smile, knowing that for a couple hours she let her walls down.

This fence, this cage in her mind that she worked so hard to protect was obliterated in one night. And it felt amazing. Granted, she only felt the residual effects, but it gave her a sort of twisted thrill that her fortress could still be broken, that she hadn't _completely_ imprisoned herself. But she could feel each brick, each stone, each nail moving slowly back into place almost as soon as her eyes opened.

Each time it happened, she would clench her eyes shut, willing her defenses to rest, to leave her in peace for just a little longer. But each time it happened, her walls grew back, just the same as before.

James had taken his position as her adopter very seriously. Just before the moon fell, Prongs would usher Padfoot and Wormtail from the room, the two werewolves already howling in pain. He stood there, right by Pup, until he was sure it was safe to shift out of his Animagus form. Then, with alert but averted eyes, he would cover her with a blanket and save her some dignity.

It was one of those things James did for her that they never addressed. She knew he was there for her, and he knew she was grateful. It didn't hurt that the first face she saw when she woke up was Harry's. And if she let the sleep linger in her eyes, she couldn't even tell his eye color was off.

Once Remus and Hermione were awake enough to make it back to the castle on their own, the Marauders would depart only to reunite with them in the Hospital Wing.

* * *

**The Hospital Wing**

"It's so weird," Hermione said, mainly to herself. She was watching Sirius and Peter stack miscellaneous items on Remus as he slept. James sat himself at the foot of her bed.

"What's weird?"

"Oh, I was just thinking. Remus and I are affected so differently around the full moon. It's weird."

James thought on this for a moment.

"Well, you don't technically _have_ to be the same, right? I mean, it's not like your wolves are related."

"Right," Hermione forced a laugh. "Of course not."

"So listen," James started, ruffling his hair. "Lily and I had a talk yesterday…" He grinned at Hermione's raised eyebrow. "Yes, Lily and I had a talk yesterday, and she told me you were planning on staying here for the holidays."

"She told you?" Hermione groaned.

"I told you you needed to get used to people looking out for you," James smiled. "Anyway, she wanted you to stay with her, but her sister is a bit crazy when it comes to magic. So, bright idea courtesy of yours truly… you're coming home with me!"

"What?"

"That's right, you, yes you Ms. Hermione Granger, have won an all-expense paid trip to the home on none other than Gryffindor God James Potter!" Hermione laughed at the voice James had adopted for his little speech. "This trip is non-negotiable so don't try to get out of it. Because no one should be alone for Christmas!"

Hermione looked at James and practically burst into tears. James' face, in two seconds, switched from playful and happy to frightened and awkward. He looked at the crying girl in front of him.

"Um, Pup?" He patted her arm in a show of comfort, although he wasn't really sure what was going on. Hermione wiped her eyes and looked at him.

"I'm sorry," she spoke through sniffles. "It's the moon. That's why I'm so emotional. But really James, that's- that's so kind of you. Thank you."

"Oi, Prongs, mate! Why are you making Pup cry?" Sirius wandered over from Remus' bed. Hermione laughed a bit and attempted to clear all the tears away.

"It's not sad tears. It's happy tears." Sirius looked as if he didn't understand the concept. Hermione looked at James to explain.

"She's coming home with us for Christmas!"

"Really?"

"Really!" Hermione swatted at James' arm lightly.

"I haven't said yes yet!" Both boys looked at her expectantly. She sighed and responded. "But I'm guessing there's no way I could say no, so yes!"

"I always knew you were smart, Pup. Merlin, Mum is going to love it. I think she's grown bored of Sirius already."

"He's just jealous she loves me the most," Sirius fake-whispered in Hermione's ear. Hermione's smile grew to reach her ears. James swatted at Sirius.

"Nonsense!" He turned to Hermione. "Okay, so here's the plan. You come home with us, meet the parents and all that good stuff. We'll all hang out and have loads of fun. Then, Christmas Eve we have our annual Christmas party. Remus and Peter will be there, and I think Lily and the girls are coming too. Then Christmas! Presents and food and more food!"

Hermione's face fell all of a sudden.

"Oh no." She looked over toward Remus. "Christmas, the 25th, it's a full moon this year."

James and Sirius' faces fell as well. The looked at each other for a minute before Sirius got an idea.

"Don't worry about it, Pup. We'll talk with Remus. You're still coming home with us. We'll figure something out." Hermione smiled sweetly at Sirius. They looked in each other's eyes, and Hermione felt something in the air shift.

"You know what this means?" James' voice broke them away from each other.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"This means you have to get us really good presents." Hermione laughed, pulled her pillow from behind her, and hit James' over the head with it.

* * *

**The Hogwarts Express**

The last weeks of school had passed in an absolute blur. Hermione had met with Dumbledore to let him know she was leaving for the holidays. She had arranged plans to meet up with Remus on Christmas. She was going to go to his house for the transformation. Hermione was already having trouble pushing the upcoming moon from her mind.

And of course she had ordered presents for everyone. Thankfully, she had been able to have everything delivered by owl. She had all her presents wrapped and packed away.

As Hermione made her way onto the train into a compartment with all of her friends, she felt calm. As she slipped into the seat, a feeling of safety seemed to wrap around her as if the seat behind her had arms. She let herself relax into the seat, letting out a sigh.

The countryside passed in a blur, and before Hermione had time to fully appreciate being once more on the Hogwarts Express, she was following all the students disembarking.

Once on the platform, she separated from her group for a moment, weaving in and out of students with her eyes trained for a certain grey-eyed boy. And suddenly there he was, exiting the train. Hermione looked around briefly, hoping none of the older Blacks would see her. She stepped toward Regulus quickly.

In a seamless motion, Hermione bumped into Regulus' shoulder and shoved a small package into his hands. She turned her head and whispered just as they passed each other.

"Merry Christmas, Regulus."

She turned and walked back toward her group, her fingers wrapping tightly around the square package wrapped in silver and gold.

* * *

**A/N:** Thank you for reading! Please review. I do love them! And I'm on tumblr as well! (vulpeculum) Thank you all for sticking with me through this story. It's really so great to know that all of you like it.

Much love. -V.


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **New chapter! Let me know what you all think!

**To Cynder2013:** Yes, the full moon was on Christmas in 1977 (as far as my research tells me). I'm 99% sure this is accurate, but if I'm mistaken, please don't hesitate to correct me. :)

* * *

**Chapter 26: Holiday Spirit**

**18 December 1977**

**King's Cross Station**

Hermione looked down at her gift from Regulus. She thumbed the small note attached.

_An early Christmas present. Open on the 22__nd__. RAB._

She started to weave through the crowd, but quickly realized she had no idea where her friends were. She tucked the package away and closed her eyes for a second. She took a deep breath in and focused on the smells around her, searching for the dark spice that always surrounded Remus.

Hermione opened her eyes and quite literally followed her nose. When she finally spotted Remus, she picked up her pace but almost froze at the sight of his parents. Remus' mother and father were talking happily with their son. Remus' head looked up suddenly and he turned toward Hermione, his face breaking out into a grin.

"Hermione! Over here!" Hermione gulped, planted a nervous smile on her face, and walked toward Remus.

"Hermione, this is my mother and father, Hope and Lyall Lupin. Mum, Dad, this is Hermione."

The trio looked at each other with wide eyes for a moment before remembering themselves. Hermione extended a hand.

"Hello, it's so nice to meet you both. I really appreciate you letting me into your home for the- the um, for Christmas." Remus' parents each shook Hermione's hand. Hope seemed to be having trouble suppressing her huge grin. Lyall, on the other hand, was staring at Hermione's scar. Hermione blushed at all the attention. She looked to Remus who was staring at his parents frozen before him. She reached out a hand to grasp his arm.

"Well, I better go and find James and Sirius. They're probably wondering where I am." Hermione hugged Remus goodbye and started away from the small group.

"That was her?" Hermione couldn't help but hear Remus' mother. "She's a werewolf too? My, my, Remus, you didn't say she was so pretty."

"Mum! She can hear you!" Remus groaned. Hermione smiled, picturing the blush that was surely filling Remus' cheeks.

Hermione jumped suddenly as a hand slid into hers. She turned her head quickly to the right but didn't pull her hand away.

"Sirius, you scared me!"

"Just making sure we don't lose you again," he chuckled. "James and his parents are already through the wall. They sent me to find you."

"Oh no, have I been gone long?" Hermione really wanted to make a good impression on James' parents.

"Not at all, Pup. They mostly sent me back 'cause a couple of Blacks came to collect Regulus." Hermione noted how he didn't refer to the other Blacks as family.

Hermione followed Sirius through the portal and over to the Potters.

Hermione's first impression of the older Potters was that they loved their sons, plural, very much. Charlus and Dorea Potter were talking animatedly with James as Sirius and Hermione approached. When Dorea caught sight of Sirius, her smile grew, and Hermione could see in her eyes that Sirius was 100 percent _her_ son. Charlus clapped Sirius on the back.

"We were starting to wonder if you were ever coming back," he chastised, though clearly joking. "Thought you took a detour for another silly smoke break."

"Oh Charlus, don't mention that horrible habit in front of me." Dorea shook her head at Sirius, smiling all the same. She turned to Hermione.

"And you, my dear, must be Hermione. We've heard so much about you." Hermione blushed and looked nervously at James. He held up his hands.

"Hey, all good things from me, Pup. But then again, I don't see what Sirius is writing home." This time it was Sirius' turn to blush. Hermione tried to think of another time when she'd seen Sirius, old or young, blush. Charlus stepped forward to take Hermione's bags from her.

"All good things, don't you worry." He winked at her. Hermione smiled, already feeling at ease. As the group gathered their things, Hermione noticed something out of the corner of her eye.

Far from the Potters and heading the opposite direction was a group of refined, poised, and positively frightening people. They seemed to exude luxury and wealth, as well as a sense of darkness. Hermione wondered how people could look so… so cold. She looked away, but her eyes quickly returned as she recognized Regulus among them. _So these are the Blacks._

One man in particular seemed a bit out of place, however. His short white hair was a sharp contrast from the dark, muted colors of the rest of the group. He was old, clearly, but Hermione thought for a moment she knew him. Something about him made Hermione feel like she should be paying attention. She cocked her head, trying to remember which Blacks she had encountered before.

"Hermione!" James' voice pulled her focus and the man was quickly forgotten.

* * *

The winter holidays were passing like a montage in a cheesy holiday movie. And Hermione loved every second of it. She couldn't remember the last holiday she had enjoyed without worrying about someone's safety or some kind of upcoming threat.

Charlus and Dorea had welcomed Hermione with open arms. James, much to Hermione's embarrassment, had already explained her unique situation regarding her lack of family and lycanthropy. Both parents took the time to pull Hermione aside and assure her there was no prejudice or worry about her lycanthropy.

James' parents were incredibly lovely. Hermione couldn't help but smile every time they doted on the boys. They treated Sirius like another son, nagging and praising him just as much as James. It made Hermione's heart swell.

Hermione was given her own room, which honestly hadn't surprised her after she had seen the size of the Potters' home. She was grateful for her own space, but spent most of her time in the room James and Sirius shared.

Sirius spent a lot of time in the backyard, working on his motorbike. As far as Hermione could tell, it couldn't fly yet. She wondered when that addition was coming, excited that she would get to witness it firsthand. The first time Hermione saw Sirius working on the bike, oil smudges on his face, his white shirt transparent with sweat, she was immediately taken back to that day in the kitchen. How strange it had suddenly seemed, that she was witness to these moments decades apart.

Remus and Peter had each come to visit a few times. Hermione had let the boys go off when Peter came to visit, opting instead to explore the Potters' library in depth. She was starting to feel extremely confused around Peter. So far, she had seen no signs of him swaying toward the dark side. And so far, he had given her no reason _not_ to like him. Yes, he was a bit squeamish and mousy, but a traitor? Not yet, at least.

When Remus visited, however, Hermione was suddenly available. The four of them spent the day acting like children. They played in the woods behind near the Potter's home and went for ice cream, laughing until the sun went down.

At night, Hermione, James, and Sirius were left to their own after dinner with the Potters. The trio would return to James and Sirius' room for what quickly became a nightly ritual. Hermione would read a book, James would obsess over his broom, and Sirius would flip through a muggle motorcycle magazine.

After a while, Sirius would lose focus and bring up a random question. At this point, James and Hermione would push whatever they were doing to the side. Lying on her stomach, legs up and chin in her hands, Hermione would smile as Sirius came up with the most ridiculous questions. At the end of each night, Hermione would smile herself to sleep knowing the memories of James were safe in her head. She would be ready to share them whenever she got back to Harry… if she ever got back to Harry.

* * *

**22 December 1977**

**The Potter Residence**

Hermione woke up to the familiar feeling she was beginning to associate with the full moon. Her blood itched in her veins. She pulled herself from her bed and slumped through her morning routine. She kept quiet through breakfast, barely smiling as Mrs. Potter explained all the preparation she was busy with for the upcoming Christmas Eve party.

Hermione slipped away from the breakfast table and threw herself on her bed. She missed Regulus. More than that, she needed him. She gave her pillows a few punches, but it wasn't the same.

Then out of the corner of her eye, she caught the light reflecting off something. Hermione looked up. Regulus' package. The package she was not to open until the 22nd. Hermione smiled and padded across the room to the package.

She sat on her bed and carefully tore away the wrapping. She lifted the top of the box and picked up the card inside.

_He may be a bit of an ass, but he wants to help. Sorry I can't be there. Did some research. Hope these help. RAB._

Hermione places the card to her side and pulled out the contents of the box. Inside were two gloves with thick pads attached to the palms. Hermione recognized them from muggle movies. Boxers used them for training. She gave the card on the bed one last look before hoping off her bed.

* * *

**The Potters' Backyard**

Hermione stood in the doorway to the backyard for a minute just watching Sirius. He had his back to her and was tending to his bike. She liked seeing him like this, completely at ease and not a care in the world.

"Are you going to keep standing there, Pup, or are you going to give me a hand?"

"How did you know it was me?" Hermione asked, stepping forward. Sirius stood up, throwing a dirty rag over his shoulder. He tapped his nose twice.

"You smelled me?" Sirius smirked.

"It's the canine in me. A side effect from the second time I tried to transform into Padfoot." Hermione was hit by a wave of déjà vu.

"You'll have to tell me that story some time." Hermione walked around the bike running her finger alone the seat. Sirius watched her carefully.

"So-" "Hermione-" They spoke at the same time.

"Sorry, go ahead," Sirius said. Hermione blushed, unsure of herself.

"Um, I was just, well, it's close to the full moon, and well, Regulus isn't here." Sirius stiffened. "Sorry, um, I just thought that maybe, if you wouldn't mind – and I could ask James, but I just thought – well, if you would, that is… Help me, Sirius?"

Hermione looked down at the bike, too nervous to look at the boy before her. She busied herself with tracing the stitching around the seat of the bike when a hand suddenly descended to still hers. She looked up.

"What can I do?"

* * *

When Sirius decided to help Hermione deal with her "pre-moon aggression," he certainly hadn't expected this. Sure he knew Hermione and Regulus fought, but he didn't think they actually _fought_.

Hermione had led Sirius to an empty room in the Potter house. He watched, slightly amused, as she pushed all the furniture to the walls with a few waves of her wand.

She brought forth a package and produced two pads, the likes of which Sirius had never seen. Hermione smiled as she pulled them over his hands. She demonstrated how he was to stand and react to her.

Then Hermione left the room.

When she came back, Sirius could have sworn she was a different person. Hermione had pulled her wild hair back into a braid. She had changed into a fitted t-shirt and shorts. Her feet were bare. It took Sirius a minute to pull his eyes from her body. He was a teenage boy after all. He raised an eyebrow when she turned to place a silencing charm. Hermione blushed.

"I just don't want anyone to ask questions." Sirius smirked, but nodded all the same. Hermione set down her wand on a table near the door and walked over to Sirius. She rolled her shoulders back and raised her fists.

"Shall we begin?"

* * *

The first hit came out of nowhere. Sirius was still busy smirking at Hermione's stance. He stepped back in surprise and looked at Hermione with wide eyes. He raised his hands again.

The second hit jarred his arm. He turned to the side to shake it out. When he looked back at Hermione, her smile was almost wild. Sirius grimaced.

"We can stop if you like," Hermione said playfully. Sirius noted the calmness in her voice, as if the first two hits hadn't taken any effort at all. "I can always ask James."

That seemed to do it. Sirius hardened his eyes and adjusted his position, holding his hands out once again.

For the next hour, Hermione and Sirius performed a sort of sadistic dance. To his credit, Sirius held up well against Hermione's ferocious energy. He watched as her face shifted into almost a primal growl as she landed hit after hit. Her eyes started to flash gold, like light bulbs bursting and raining ember.

For an hour, the room was filled with the sound of their breathing, growing heavier and heavier. Every now and then, Hermione would release a grunt or a growl, sounding much more wolfish than human. And throughout the hour Sirius watched her eyes. For a while, she had focused on him, not even needing to look at his hands to know where to hit. But soon, her focus had faded. Sirius searched and searched her eyes but couldn't find where she had gone.

Her hits were growing sporadic and losing their strength. Hermione landed one, two, three more hits before taking a step back and collapsing on the ground. She fell to her knees, catching herself with her hands. Her knuckles were raw and a couple were starting to bleed. Hermione closed her eyes and tried to focus on her breathing. She saw a tear fall on the floor before she even felt its hot path that was left on her cheek.

Hermione breathed in and out, in and out. A wave of cool air was flowing through the room now. A few strands of hair fluttered in front of Hermione's eyes. And then there were arms around her, pulling her into something warm.

Hermione froze.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm holding you." His arms tightened around her, his voice soft against her skin.

"Why?" Her voice was quiet. She didn't push it, not knowing how much she could manage to say. Sirius moved one arm to brush a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Because you need it." She picked up her head and looked at his eyes. The stormy seas had calmed and the grey that was left behind was almost breathtaking for Hermione. When she looked into Sirius' eyes, she looked into eyes that truly cared for her. And although it scared her, Hermione let herself fall back into Sirius' arms.

* * *

**A/N: :)** I hope you all liked this chapter. Thanks for reading! As always, please review. (And I'm on tumblr if you're interested.)

Much Love. -V.


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **Another fluffy chapter! Let me know what you think.

**To mykaelf77:** Thank you! I've read so many stories where authors rush the romance, and it's hard to get past. I wanted to try a slow build with Hermione and Sirius so I'm glad you like it!

**To Comic** **Critic**: Don't worry about Sirius replacing Regulus. Regulus isn't going anywhere. I've quickly fallen in love with his relationship with Hermione, so he's sticking around (and for even longer than I had originally planned).

* * *

**Chapter 27: Eve of the Full Moon**

**24 December 1977**

**The Potters' Residence**

Hermione spent Christmas Eve resting in bed. Her muscles ached for her to take a round with Sirius, but she knew she needed to save her strength for the party. Sirius and James had stopped by her room with breakfast, but Hermione quickly ushered them out, insisting they enjoy the day instead of sulking with her.

Left alone, Hermione sat in bed thinking of her last Christmas. She had been at home with her parents instead of the Burrow. She and Ron had exchanged words before the holidays, and Hermione had thought it best to give him space. She had been celebrating with her parents, safe at home, when Death Eaters attacked the Burrow. She should have been with Harry and Ron then.

She should have done a lot of things.

Hermione forced herself to sleep and rest, and faded in and out of dreams all day. She dreamed of Harry and Ron, Ginny and Luna, even Neville. She dreamed they were free of the threat of Voldemort and his followers. She dreamed of the train ride from Hogwarts to King's Cross, and James and Lily greeting Harry as they stepped off the train.

A knock at the door brought her fully out of her dream state. Hermione hastily wiped away the tears salted to her cheeks and sat up.

"Come in."

Dorea Potter swept into the room, in her arms a dark gown. Hermione's jaw dropped.

"Now, I know you haven't been feeling well, so I haven't pushed," she began. "But you're staying under my roof, and there was absolutely no way I was going to allow you to be unprepared for the ball tonight."

"I-i-it's a ball?" Hermione stuttered. "The boys said it was a party. I- I didn't think-" Dorea held up a hand and smiled softly.

"Not to worry, my dear. I've taken the liberty of finding you the perfect gown and shoes. I didn't want you to strain yourself. I know you're going to need your strength tonight."

With a flourish, Mrs. Potter held up the gown in her hands for Hermione to see. Hermione was floored.

"Mrs. Potter, please, I can't possibly-" Again Mrs. Potter interrupted.

"Hermione, I've been blessed with many things. A wonderful life, a wonderful husband, and two wonderful sons. But I have not been blessed with a daughter. So indulge me, and wear the dress." She smiled. "Please."

Hermione smiled back. In fact, she couldn't stop smiling. She lifted a hand to cover her mouth. Her eyes were shining.

"It's so beautiful."

"Good girl." Dorea nodded and opened the door to leave Hermione's room. "You're going to look stunning tonight, Hermione."

* * *

Hermione was stalling. She hated to admit it, but she was. The dress Dorea had chosen was much too stunning for her. Hermione felt like a fish out of water. Dorea had stopped by Hermione's room before guests started to arrive to tell her to take her time and not to worry if she needed to leave the part early. Hermione was eager to see Remus, to have someone to lean on.

Hermione was staring at herself in the mirror when someone knocked on her door.

"Um, who is it?"

"It's Lily! Will you let me in?" Hermione smiles and moved slowly to the door. As soon as she opened it, Lily burst through, wrapping Hermione in a hug. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, Lily." The two separated from the hug and took a moment to look at each other. "Merlin, Lily, you look amazing."

Lily was wearing a purple dress that seemed to shine with every movement. Hermione Her skin was radiating with happiness, and Hermione decided that Lily was one of those people who looks absolutely gorgeous whenever they smile, no matter what she was wearing.

"And you? This dress? Beautiful." Hermione blushes, running a hand over the dress to smooth some invisible wrinkles.

"I suppose we have to go down now?"

"Yes, we do. But don't worry. There's plenty of to eat and drink and the music is great." Hermione laughed.

"Ugh, don't mention food. I haven't been able to eat all day." Lily instantly grew concerned.

"How are you really? It's so unfair the full moon is on Christmas."

"I'm fine, Lily. I'll be okay." Lily put her arms around Hermione for a hug.

"Just tell me when, Hermione, and I'll take you straight to bed. No matter what James says." Hermione smiled and let Lily lead her downstairs.

"Remus!" Hermione bounded off the stairs – well, as much as she could – over to Remus as soon as she spotted him. Remus turned to face Hermione and her spirits lifted at his smile. She let herself fall into his hug and breathed him in, allowing his scent to calm her.

"You look stunning, Hermione." Hermione grinned and took the time to assess Remus. He was wearing dark brown dress robes. Yes, they had seen better days, but the whole look was just so perfectly Remus that pristine robes would have looked strange. Hermione thought he looked like a cuddly version of James Bond. She laughed mentally and made a mental note to share that comment with Remus in the future.

"You look good, Remus. How are you?" She reached for Remus' hand.

"I'm okay. It's always tough, the first moon away from the guys. I'm glad you've been staying with them. They make it easier."

"I'm honestly surprised you made it." Hermione blushed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound so harsh."

"I understand," Remus smiled. "Honestly, I'm a bit surprised I made it too. I'm glad you're here though. I would have thought, you know, without Regulus…" Hermione nodded.

"Sirius actually helped me a bit. I may have scared him a little bit, but he helped."

"Good." The two werewolves smiled at each other.

"I've missed you, Remus."

"I've missed you too, Pup." He squeezed her hand.

"Look Padfoot, it's the ladies!" Hermione looked over her shoulder with a smile to see James and Sirius pushing through the crowd. The two were wearing matching black dress robes, making them look very much like brothers. Lily, who had reappeared suddenly, giggled. Hermione gave her a pointed look and smiled when Lily blushed.

"My dear maiden." James swept over to Hermione, took her hand and kissed it. "Ah, another fair maiden." He did the same with Remus, much to his friend's embarrassment. Then James looked at Lily, _really_ looked at Lily.

In an instant, it was like childhood years rolled off of James' shoulders. Hermione saw light appear in his eyes and watched his smile grow. He seemed to stand a little taller, more confident, more mature.

"Lily," he breathed. He said her name as if it were his life force. "You're, you're… You look beautiful." Lily smiled, her eyes shining. James held out his hand in the same way he had for Hermione and Remus, but this time when Lily placed her hand in his, he grasped it tightly. He gently pulled Lily a step closer and looked deep into her eyes.

"Will you dance with me, Lily?" He asked. His voice was nervous. "Just one dance."

"Just one dance." Remus, Sirius and Hermione watched as James led Lily to join the other waltzing couples. The three friends turned to look at each other.

"That was…" Remus' eyes were still wide. Hermione was speechless.

"Overdue?" Sirius offered. The three laughed.

It was truly quite a scene. Hermione felt as if she were witnessing something historic. Maybe it was James and Lily acting sweeter towards each other, or maybe it was seeing everyone in fancy dress. Hermione felt a great solemnity fall over her.

"Well, you two sure are chatty tonight." Hermione and Remus both pulled their gazes away from the couples dancing to look at Sirius. Hermione blushed and Remus shrugged. "Okay, I'm getting drinks. Drunk werewolves are always more fun than sulky werewolves."

Sirius started to walk away but Remus stopped him.

"I'll get them, Padfoot. You stay here. I need to find the Potters anyway. I haven't said hello." Not giving Sirius any time to argue, Remus slipped into the crowd.

Hermione swayed on her feet. She was overwhelmed, but for some reason it wasn't bothering her as much as she thought. All the smells, and sounds, and emotions rolling off people- she would've thought it would have been an overload, but it made her happy. She hadn't seen this many people dancing and laughing and acting carefree since Bill and Fleur's wedding, and even then…

"You look beautiful."

"What?" Hermione turned to Sirius.

"I said you look beautiful." Hermione blushed, suddenly wishing she had something to do with her hands. She searched Sirius' face for its usual playfulness, but it was all calm.

"Thank you," she said. "You look very dashing, Sirius. If I didn't know you better, I'd think you were a pureblood prince."

"That's the best thing about the Potters' parties," Sirius smiled, leaning into her. "They take the best things about being pureblood and throw out all the rest. You can actually have fun without worrying about stupid, antiquated customs."

"This," he gestured around the room. "This is just normal people, having a good time. I just- I live for this shit." Hermione smiled at the twinkle in his eyes.

Remus returned with an armful of drinks. Hermione took a cautious sip and found she quite enjoyed the mysterious pink liquid. Sirius told her the name but it was quickly forgotten when James and Lily rejoined the group. Lily had spotted Marlene from the dance floor and pulled Hermione away from the boys to reunite with their friend.

Hermione, Lily, and Marlene were the only three of their friends at the ball, but had plenty of fun. The waltzes and slow dances turned into more upbeat, festive music. Hermione, with not enough energy to jump around, stood back and watched as Marlene and Lily danced until their feet were sore. Taking breaks from dancing every now and then, the girls would flit around the party. Hermione met up with the boys a few times since Peter had arrived. They filled her with drinks and laughs.

After a while, Remus and Hermione found themselves separating from the group being led by an exquisite smell right to the buffet table. Remus had piled a plate high, but Hermione couldn't stomach a single bite, opting instead to stand by Remus and enjoy the smells.

As the night dragged on, Hermione started to feel the exhaustion and spirits getting to her. Remus parted, telling Hermione he would come pick her up the next day. Watching Remus leave, Hermione leaned into Sirius, clinging to his arm. She felt a little dizzy.

"You okay, Pup?"

"Tired, Sirius. I wanna go to bed." Sirius nodded. He nudged James beside him.

"I'm taking Hermione up." Everyone said their goodbyes to Hermione. James started to protest, but Lily silenced him, placing a hand on his arm.

"Come on, Pup. Let's get you upstairs."

Sirius took Hermione's hand and led her to the bottom of the stairs. Hermione looked up the staircase with wide eyes.

"S'too many. Too many steps." Sirius, already a few steps up, looked back at Hermione. He chuckled at her before stepping down to sweep her up into his arms. Hermione let out a squealing sound at the sudden movement but relaxed into Sirius. She closed her eyes as he climbed the stairs and made it to her bedroom.

He placed her on the edge of her bed and knelt before her.

"Let's get these off of you, okay?" Sirius lifted the hem of Hermione's dress to assess her shoe situation. "Okay… lots of straps. Too many straps. I don't know where to start."

"Sirius! My feet hurt." Hermione whimpered. Sirius patted her leg.

"I'm working on it, Pup," he mumbled as he finally wrenched away her left shoe. "Ah ha! Gotcha!"

When he finally got the right shoe off, Hermione suddenly got off her bed and ran to the closet. Sirius followed behind, but she shut the door in his face.

"Hermione? Pup? You okay?"

"Shh! Sirius, I'm changing. You're going to wake up my socks!"

"Well we wouldn't want that." Sirius rolled his eyes. He backed away from the closet and sat at the edge of Hermione's bed. She emerged seconds later and crawled past Sirius into bed. Sirius stepped to her side, guiding her legs under the sheets before she settled in for good. He patted her head awkwardly and turned to leave.

"Sirius," Hermione whispered. "Would you stay? At least for a while?"

"Course, Pup." Sirius pushed the chair by the vanity closer to Hermione's bed. He sat himself down, wincing a bit at the hard wood. Hermione watched him through one open eye.

"Why are you all the way over there?"

"Don't worry about me, pup. Just being a gentleman."

"Pshh, you're always saying that." Hermione shifted over to the other side of the bed. She patted the space she had just vacated.

"Come on. The bed is plenty big enough. I don't want you to be uncomfortable." Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Come on, Sirius."

Sirius sighed, beaten. He toed off his shoes and climbed in beside Hermione. Hermione smiled, readjusted her position, and closed her eyes. She relished in the warmth that was rolling off Sirius. She moved the arm closest to Sirius out toward him, holding her palm up. After a moment, a warm, worn hand filled hers, and she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Strangely, no one seemed to notice that Sirius never returned to the party. Or if they did, no one questioned it. As more people started to leave, Peter parted, followed by Marlene. James had begged Lily to stay longer, but she appeased him with a kiss on the cheek. He had been so stunned, he didn't even notice when she walked out the door.

And then it was only James. James' parents saw the last of their guests to the doors and then bid goodnight to their son.

Still in a bit of a daze from Lily's kiss, James sauntered over to the music and replayed the song he and Lily had danced to. He sat down with his eyes closed, swaying along with the music. When the song finally ended, James rose to his feet and left the room, a dopey smile on his face.

* * *

**A/N:** Because you can't have fluff without a Lily and James moment.

Please review! It means a lot! 9 out of 10 doctors agree that reviews help fight writer's block!

Much love. -V


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **Oh please don't hate me, dear readers. I'm back at school now, and it's taken a while for me to get back in the swing of things. I apologize for the short length of this chapter, but I promise the next one won't be as short!

Nonetheless, I hope you like it and would love to hear from you all!

* * *

**Chapter 28: From Bad to Worse**

The wolf was restless.

From the moment Hermione arrived at Remus' house, she felt as if she needed to transform. She scratched at her skin until Remus grabbed her arms and held them tightly. He stood next to her, there in the middle of his kitchen, forehead to forehead until she felt some control.

Remus' parents were exceptionally kind, but Hermione couldn't help but feel awkward around them. What she didn't realize was that none of Remus' friends had ever visited his home before, that Remus' parents never expected him to bring home a girl, let alone another werewolf.

She kept her responses as short and polite as if was all she could muster, feeling bad that she wasn't acting the way she had toward James' parents. But from the looks of Remus' mother, she completely understood and only looked at Hermione with eyes full of pity.

Remus' home was far away from everything and anything. The Lupins' home was small, but the surrounding area was large enough for two werewolves to play without interruption. Remus' father had warded a large area that would deliver a shock if the werewolves tried to cross it. Remus assured Hermione that the area was large enough that it had never happened before.

Remus and Hermione retired to the woods with plenty of time before the moon rose. Hermione could feel her inner wolf trying to push out. She felt this way before, but somehow it was different this time. She tried to focus on her surroundings, on Remus, but she felt her thoughts being pushed aside.

_Missing._

Hermione furrowed her brows. She shook her head and tried to focus on Remus who was telling her something.

_Missing._

That thought came back.

_Why are they missing_?

But it wasn't a thought. It was more of… of a whisper.

Hermione reached out and grabbed Remus' hand.

"What is it?"

"Remus," Hermione whispered, afraid she might scare the voice away. "She's here."

"Who?" Remus looked around startled. "Who's here, Hermione?"

"No, not _here_, Remus." Hermione closed her eyes and lifted two fingers to her forehead. "Here."

Remus was silent.

"You've never heard her before?" Hermione shook her head. "What's she saying?"

Hermione opened her eyes.

"She's wondering where they are, James and Sirius." Hermione didn't mention Peter. She already knew her wolf wasn't found of him. "Remus, I haven't had a moon without them."

Hermione was suddenly filled with scared. Remus squeezed her fingers lightly.

"I'm still here. It'll be okay."

* * *

_She took too long to change. She always takes too long to change._

_I'm here now. I can breathe. _

_HE is here, too… but not the others._

_Where are the others?_

_WHERE ARE THE OTHERS?_

_Run._

_Oh, HE wants to play. Let's play._

_Hungry now. Food._

_Run. Run __faster__._

_Where are they? Missing._

_Abandoned._

_My insides hurt. Must stop._

_Run. RUN._

_Moon._

_Why aren't they coming?_

_HE's back. Did he find them?_

_Abandoned. Must be punished._

_Rest._

_Let's hunt. Hungry for blood. _

_HE's getting tired. But we can't sleep! What if they come back? What if we miss them?_

_Moon._

_So tired now. _

_I think she's coming._

* * *

It took them longer to heal this time, but it helped that they were together. Hope Lupin was obviously well prepared, and empty vials of healing potions soon surrounded the two werewolves. But they still hurt.

Remus and Hermione hadn't even bothered to shower off the dirt and stench from the forest. They immediately pulled on loose clothing and fallen asleep on Remus' bed. Hope was shocked to see the two in the same bed when she went to check on her son, but didn't dare suggest Hermione move to the couch downstairs.

They spent two days in bed. Two days of pain potions. Two days of healing. Two days not talking to each other except for small, weak grunts. Two days with hair matted with dirt and blood. Two days before James' owl bumped its beak against Remus' window.

_Tap. Tap._

Hermione groaned and picked up her head. It was barely light outside.

_Tap. Tap._

She looked at Remus. He was fast asleep.

_Tap. Tap._

She looked at the window and groaned again. Throwing her arm out, Hermione blindly felt for her wand on the bedside table. With a small flick of her wrist, the window opened and James' owl came swooping over. He dropped a small folded piece of parchment and departed before Hermione could even let her head fall back down. Glancing at Remus, she cast a quiet lumos and read the letter.

The parchment fell from her fingers and Hermione just stared ahead with blank eyes. Remus fidgeted beside her. He was waking up.

"'Mione?" He was looking at her through one opened eye. "What are you doing?"

Hermione couldn't speak. She looked at Remus with eyes screaming with sadness and pity. She picked up the parchment as if it were made from glass and placed it in his hands. Remus struggled to sit up, but he managed to finally situate himself and read the letter.

Remus shut his eyes as tight as he could. He rolled over and screamed into his pillow. Hermione's heart broke. She scooted closer to Remus and let him rest his head on her lap.

"We'll go to them, Remus," she whispered. "We'll go be with them."

* * *

_Hermione, Remus_

_Something terrible –- happened._

_Mom got sick Christmas night. - - - - dragon pox. - - - came on fast. We went to Mungos, but-_

_She's gone._

_Come by if you can._

_Sirius_

Only half the letter was legible through the ink blotted with tears.


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **Hope you all like this chapter. Thank you for sticking with me! Please review if you see fit!

* * *

**Chapter 29: Coping Mechanisms**

Lily was the first to arrive. She looked like she hadn't slept since Christmas. She brought along with her enough food to feed an army, and with a few clever stasis charms, the Potters didn't need to fix a meal for weeks. She didn't speak much when she was there, just listened.

She listened to Charlus when she brought food into the study where he was arranging the details for Dorea's funeral. She listened at Sirius' door for his breathing when she replaced the untouched plate of food outside his door. And James…

James didn't want to be in the house. He felt caged there. He didn't mind seeing his mother's favorite blanket on the chair in the living room. He didn't mind smelling her perfume when he walked into her closet. But he did mind the stifling atmosphere of grief. Silently, he grabbed his broom and took to the skies behind the house. For a while, he raced around, reaching enormous speeds and dashing toward the ground, but after a while he just hovered, just hovered alone with his thoughts.

Lily watched from the window, just in case he lost control and she needed to help him. Her breath caught in her chest with every Wronski Feint. And when he stopped- Lily heaved Sirius' broom outside, only glancing behind once in case the Black boy had descended from his room. But, of course, he hadn't.

She was a little shaky at first and thanked Merlin James didn't see her take off. She was slow but she got there to him. She flew up beside him and didn't speak for a moment. She just reached over and brushed the lone tear from his cheek. She shifted around so that she was facing him and waited.

James didn't speak for five minutes. He just stared at the ground, focusing on his breathing as tears started to fall. But when he finally looked up at Lily and started to speak, he didn't stop.

They sat there for hours, past the point of discomfort. Lily never said a word. She let James do all the talking. He spoke about memories of his mother. He told her how his parents first met. He ranted about the poor quality of the healers at St. Mungo's. He vented about how he didn't understand the way his father and Sirius were grieving. And he cried. And Lily did, too. And he kept talking.

* * *

Sirius Black was not in his room. But he didn't want to be looked for. He charmed the radio in his room to play back his breathing and sleeping sounds, knowing just how persistent Lily was. He locked the door from the inside and thanked Merlin he was of age.

Apparating to the middle of London, Sirius was overtaken by sounds and smells. Everything had seemed so muted at the Potters', and now…

He made one and only one stop. A pack of cigarettes. Putting one between his lips, he spun on the spot, disappearing once again.

* * *

Hermione and Remus stood outside the door for what seemed like a lifetime. Neither were sure of how to approach the situation. Yes, Hermione had lost people before, a grandparent and an aunt and most notably, Dumbledore, but she was at a loss. Remus, on the other hand, had never had someone close to him die before. He was confused as to how he should react. He clearly knew Dorea Potter well enough to validate grieving, but he surely felt it was his duty to comfort his friends.

When they finally decided to enter the house, they were surprised by how… functional the family seemed. Charlus was in the kitchen fixing another of Lily's casseroles, and Lily and James were in the living room looking through photographs. Remus immediately went to the kitchen to offer his services. Remus also knew that while he was grieving James still wouldn't appreciate him interrupting his one-on-one time with Lily. Hermione watched Remus leave and offered a silent hello to Lily and James. Lily lifted her head and looked upward, giving Hermione a hopeful smile. Hermione nodded and headed upstairs to look for the young Sirius Black.

His door was locked, and a plate of cold food sat in front of the door. Hermione rolled her eyes and pulled out her wand. After a whispered _alohomora_, she quietly and slowly turned the doorknob. Pushing the door open, she braced herself for whatever Sirius was going to throw her way.

But he wasn't there.

Hermione stood for a second, her mouth open. She looked behind her, trying to decide if she should let the others downstairs know. Shaking her head, she stepped into the room and locked it behind her. _Where does Sirius Black go to hide?_

She disapparated away.

* * *

The Shrieking Shack was cold and Hermione cursed herself for forgetting her jacket. Despite the absence of werewolves, the Shack seemed creepier now that she was here all alone. Hermione called out to Sirius and climbed the shaking stairs. She searched the house high and low with no success. Confused and tired, she fell down onto the bed upstairs. _Where does Sirius Black go when he's sad?_

And suddenly, she remembered.

* * *

As creepy as the Shrieking Shack had been alone, the passage to the One-Eyed Witch was almost creepier. Despite the light emanating from her wand, Hermione felt cloaked in darkness. The walk felt longer than usual, but when she finally emerged, Hermione felt a wave of energy and determination. That is, until she turned around to see Professor Dumbledore.

"Oh, Professor Dumbledore," Hermione turned to look at the passageway she had just climbed through. "I was just… um…"

"It's a good thing you've come, Miss Granger." The old wizard winked at her. "I suspect Mister Black would like some company now." With a swish of his violet robes, Dumbledore left a gobsmacked Hermione once again alone.

Hermione focused on each step she took, trying to be as quiet as possible. Sirius Black was, after all, a creature easily spooked.

Hermione stopped before the door that led to the roof of the Astronomy Tower and just stood there, breathing slowly. She was afraid of what she would find. The ground was littered with cigarettes, some violently stamped out, some holding on to their last embers, and some barely touched at all. Sirius was standing at the edge of the tower, staring at the stars, a cigarette between his lips.

For a moment all Hermione could do was stare at this man before her. She knew Sirius Black was no boy and hadn't been one for quite some time now. She thought back to her life before, that night in Regulus' room. As she watched his smoke drift into the night sky, Hermione realized how guarded Sirius truly was. She still didn't know how to comfort him.

Taking a few tentative steps forward, Hermione watched Sirius and hoped she wouldn't scare him away. When he didn't even glance her way, she walked up to his side.

Neither spoke and neither looked away even though their necks were itching to turn. Sirius pulled the cigarette from his lips and exhaled. Hermione's nose twitched as the smoke billowed past her. Suddenly Sirius turned around, leaning on the railing behind him.

He stared out at the mess of the floor before him. His mouth folded in disgust as he sent the cigarette in his hand to join the others. Hermione finally turned to look at him.

"Sirius." She spoke his name like a prayer.

Sirius closed his eyes but didn't turn to look at her. He pulled the cigarette carton from his pocket and flipped open the top. A single cigarette remained. He just stared at the lone survivor.

"She hated these. Never told me not to smoke, but she hated them." Hermione didn't have to ask whom he was talking about. "I never even thought to quit."

Hermione reached out an arm but let it drop to her side. She didn't know if she could touch him right now.

"I'm done," he whispered, flipping the cover of the carton closed. "That was it. I'm officially done."

"There's one left." Hermione's voice left her in a soft breath.

"And there'll always be one left." As Sirius shoved the carton back into his pocket, Hermione had a feeling he wasn't talking about smoking anymore.

She moved to stand in front of him, staring at his hands because she was too unsure to look at his grey eyes.

"You're not alone, Sirius," she whispered as she reached for his hand. "I'm not going to leave you alone."

Sirius pulled his hand from hers and Hermione's heart broke. She shut her eyes, wondering if Sirius Black could ever be whole. But then his arms were there, around her, pulling her close. She let out the breath she didn't know she was holding and relished the warmth of his embrace. She wrapped her arms around him as his head fell to her shoulder. His chest rose and fell in silent sobs. And Hermione held him. And he held her.

* * *

**A/N:** I hope you all like this chapter. Again, thank you for reading! I appreciate every follow, favorite and review. And don't forget I'm on tumblr (vulpeculum).

Much Love! -V.


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **It's short, I know, I'm sorry! I hadn't planned on getting back until the holidays, but I felt inspired. Let me know what you all think.

* * *

**Chapter 30: Out With The Old**

New Year's Day came and went with little celebration. Lilly, Remus, and Hermione stayed at the Potter residence for the weekend. Peter came for New Year's Eve, but his mother wanted to spend some extra time with her precious son before he went back to school. It was a quiet holiday, but perhaps more on par with the true meaning of the celebration.

Something had definitely ended. The small scraps of what came before could be felt around the house, but a new era was dawning. And it scared Hermione. In just days she had seen both Sirius and James show more maturity than she had ever experienced in either of them before. It was a stark reminder of just what these two had yet to face.

The train ride back to Hogwarts felt longer than ever before. Once the Marauders had retired to their usual compartment, James had ushered Lily out the door, telling her to find Marlene, Mary, and Dorcas, and take a break from the boys. Hermione had made no move to follow her,, but she did watch closely as Lily's eyes passed over James before she left. She had recently found herself noticing this new habit of Lily's. It was almost as if she kept seeing James for the first time and wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Of course Hermione had a hunch on what Lily was feeling, but she knew this was something the red head had to find out for herself.

The air was thick in the compartment that day. So many words hung above their heads, but instead the Marauders told jokes and ate sweets and napped. Perhaps it was because she was a girl and used to thinking about her feelings, perhaps it was because she knew what else was coming, or perhaps it was her curious nature, but Hermione was itching for the boys to speak, for James to tell her he was okay, for Sirius to relax for a single moment. But they didn't. And she kept her mouth shut.

Instead, Hermione gave them space. She let them joke and laugh and play exploding snap with Peter. She tried not to stare and she tried to focus on the book in her lap, but somehow page 52 just wouldn't end. So instead she put her head on Remus' shoulder, closed her eyes, and thought of happier times.

When they finally arrived at Hogwarts, the small pack had met up in the boys' dormitory. It was subtle and unspoken, but as they sat in each other's presence, there was a clear understanding of caring. The space between words seemed to speak on its own. _Are you okay? I'm okay, but are you okay? Yes, I'm okay._

Hermione, content with how her boys seemed, slipped from the room to retire to her own bed.

Hours later, when everyone was asleep, Bretham Wittleby, a middle-aged wizard who had been kicked out of the Hog's Head for the third time that week, was walking home when he swore he saw a grim darting about in the snow.

* * *

Sirius Black got his first tattoo alone. He had just successfully transformed into his Animagus form for the first time. He had felt good about himself for the first time in a long time and he needed to commemorate the moment. A big black paw print on the bottom of his foot.

Sirius Black got his second tattoo with his friend. Sixteen years old, no longer welcome in his child hood home. He was free for the first time in his life and he needed to remember the feeling. James handed him a bottle of firewhisky as his new motto was etched into his ribs. _Toujours fidèle._

Sirius Black got his third tattoo with his brother. They had escaped the watchful eyes of the brunette and the red head. They didn't bring firewhisky this time. They needed to feel the pain. Greek letters like a ladder down their sides. _Δωρεα._ Δωρεα: noun, (dōreá); a gift, freely given.

Sirius Black got his fourth tattoo alone. But he wasn't truly alone that cold January night. He wasn't alone when he slipped into his personal shade of canine. He wasn't alone when his paws seemed to float above the snow in Hogsmeade. And he certainly wasn't alone when five little x's made their home just under his collarbone. One for each member of his family, his pack. It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something precious.

* * *

**A/N:** I really hope you guys like this little snippet. I've been waiting to introduce Sirius's tattoos for a while now, and it seemed like a good moment. The Greek translation may not be perfect. I'm not going to pretend like I have extensive knowledge of the language, but I only ask that you maybe just go along with my usage for the purpose of the story. Thank you. As always I'm on tumblr (vulpeculum) and I would love to hear your thoughts.

**A/N: (12/7/15) **I got a review from a guest and I just wanted to clarify. This fic is not abandoned. I've had a tough semester academically, but once I finish exams, I will have much more time for PM. Never fear!

Much love. -V.


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **Didn't think I'd get a chapter out before the end of exams, but what do you know... Would love to hear what you think of this one! I hope you like it!

* * *

**Chapter 31: Little Boy Black**

It had been a bit strange, in truth, resettling in Gryffindor Tower. The whole of Hogwarts seemed to notice a difference in the Marauders. They were somehow even more inseparable than when they had left, and whenever the Marauders were around, Lily and Hermione were not far behind.

Letting the boys have their space, Lily and Hermione struck up an odd sort of closeness. The two had obviously been friendly before the holidays, but something new was developing between them. They shared looks of concern and worry for their boys and operated on the same understanding on what they needed. The two witches respected each other and grew to genuinely care for one another through their attention to the boys.

And if the relationship growing between Hermione and Lily was strong, it was nothing compared to what was occurring between Lily and James.

It had started off a bit slow, like these things usually do. The Marauders would be inseparable during the day, Peter and Remus acting as shields for their brothers. Upon returning to the common room, James would sulk off for an hour alone before returning to the pack. Each afternoon he would retire to sit on the floor by the far window, leaning on Lily's chair. Lily would sit, legs thrown over an arm of the chair, reading a book.

The first time he sat with her, Lily barely breathed for the entire hour. She could practically see each second passing by in slow motion. And when it was over, James got up and left without a word.

The second time he sat with her, Lily had been so engrossed in her new book that she barely registered the raven-haired boy sit down. It wasn't until she let a hand drop and felt her fingers graze his soft hair that she noticed. James didn't even make a sound as she let her fingers run through his messy locks. The hour seemed much shorter.

As the days drew on, James stayed silent and Lily grew a little bolder.

Then one afternoon as James sat down, Lily tapped him lightly on his shoulder. James slowly looked up at her.

"There's plenty of room on the chair if you want to sit with me." She didn't meet his eyes at first, and James hesitated before she looked up. He wasn't quite sure what to do. But when he looked in her eyes, when he looked in the emerald eyes he had memorized so long ago, he saw nothing but what he had always wanted to see in them. Without a word, James stood up and angled his body to lie in the chair beside Lily. His long legs hung over the chair awkwardly and the other arm was digging into his back, but he didn't care. He couldn't feel anything but the heat radiating off of Lily as she snuggled into his side before opening her book again.

The hour came and went. Sirius, Remus, and Peter entered the common room in a huff, worry flashed on their faces until their eyes rested on the pair asleep in the chair by the far window. James had moved his arm around Lily, her head and hand resting on his chest.

In the days that followed, James and Lily's hour grew and grew. Each afternoon the two left their friends with smiles on their faces to escape to the chair by the far window. James started to speak more and returned Lily's soft touches. They fell together like two lost halves. James started to lighten up, making Lily smile and laugh, and she brought him back to the land of the young.

No one spoke of it directly or dared to define what they saw, but it was clear for all to see, as clear as Lily's eyes when she looked at James when she let him truly kiss her for the first time in that chair by the far window. James and Lily were together and they would never be apart again.

* * *

**17 January 1978**

**The Library**

Hermione felt guilt wash over her as she entered the library. In consequence of her increased attention to the Marauders, she had let Regulus slip through her fingers. She hadn't seen him since they returned to Hogwarts except from a distance slipping through the corridors. Until this Tuesday, she had somehow been predisposed every afternoon and had been unable to run away to the library to see him. This time, when she walked through the threshold of the familiar library, she felt nervous.

Regulus was sitting at their table like always, and as Hermione approached, she let out a breath. As she walked closer, Hermione could see Regulus had pushed aside his textbooks and had pulled out some spare parchment to sketch. She smiled to herself, tiptoeing up to him to peek over his shoulder.

It was dark. Smudges covered the white space of the parchment. His sketches were heavy handed and black and sharp and cruel. Owls and wolves and snakes twisted and broke into demons. There were horns and eyes pitch black and mouths thrown open in anguish. Hermione felt her chest tighten.

"Regulus."

It was a whisper and a plea and an apology.

Regulus flinched at the sound of his name and hesitated before turning around. In that moment that his eyes met hers, Hermione decided something.

His hair was limp and dry, no longer the rich black of fresh ink. He looked faded. His skin was pale and translucent. His eyes were tired and red and almost sunken. Hermione's mind flashed to Draco Malfoy's appearance in the days before Professor Dumbledore's death. In that moment that his eyes met hers, Hermione knew exactly what was happening to Regulus. It was a subconscious decision, what she decided in that moment, and she wouldn't realize its consequences until years later.

She slipped silently into the seat across from him. Her arms itched to reach out and take his hand, but Hermione resisted, knowing that he would only start at her touch.

"I'm sorry." It was a shitty apology, but it was all she could say.

Regulus' hand stilled and he put his quill to the side, looking her in the eyes. He didn't look upset or jealous or angry with her. He looked tired and sad as his shoulders shrugged with defeat.

"He loved her. He needed you with him."

"But-" Hermione's whisper grew even softer. "You need me, too."

Regulus' lips created a fraction of a smile.

"Not as much as him. He needs someone to take care of him."

Hermione averted her eyes. They sat in silence, neither moving an inch, before she spoke again.

"Does anyone take care of you, Regulus?"

Silence.

"Regulus, are you okay?"

Regulus' mouth formed that sad smile again.

"I'll be okay, Hermione. There's no need for you to worry about someone like me."

Hermione's heart broke at his words. She chose her words carefully before speaking again.

"I'm not going to pretend like I know or understand what you're going through, but I have an idea. I'm not here to lecture you or judge you or interrogate you. I just- I just want you to know…"

Hermione looked him straight in the eyes, stunning Regulus with the strength they held, and reached out to hold his hand.

"I'm here, Regulus. I will always be here for you."

Regulus was speechless. He blinked at the girl before him as she seemed to remember herself. He watched pink roses bloom on her cheeks and wished he could draw them instead of the skulls and snakes that plagued his mind. Hermione picked her bag up from the floor and held it in her lap as she looked back at Regulus. Neither spoke, and seconds later Hermione Granger left the library.

In that first moment their eyes had met and Hermione had seen this broken Regulus, her will had solidified. Despite the warnings from Dumbledore and common logic and her analytical mind, Hermione made her decision. She was going to be there for Regulus Arcturus Black from the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black. And she was not going to let him die.

* * *

**A/N:** A little bit of happy, a little bit of sad.  
Much Love. -V.


	32. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **I hope you like this one! We get to see a little more of Lily and Hermione's friendship and Dumbledore tells Hermione something that's going to play a big part in her life post-Hogwarts. I would love to hear some feedback from you all! Reviews are the best encouragement to write faster! Happy (almost) 2016!

* * *

**Chapter 32: February**

The weeks were passing quickly. Hermione always found the beginning of a new year passed more quickly than the end. The first full moon of the year came and went without an incident. As usual Remus was sulky and exhausted in the days leading up to the moon, and Hermione once again found herself in the Room of Requirement with Regulus.

The aggression in their meetings was growing to new heights. Hermione could tell that the Death Eaters were growing by the permanent crease digging itself into Regulus' forehead. She knew he felt alone and angry and confused and lost and that despite that he wouldn't open up to her, let her in. And that made her angry.

* * *

**9 February 1978**

**Dumbledore's Office**

When Professor McGonagall first mentioned the imminence of the dreaded NEWTs, Hermione had been excited. Studying was easy; she knew how to do it. There was no messy bit, just straightforward preparation. You either knew the material or you didn't. Simple as that.

Yes, Hermione had been excited for exams, right up until she was summoned to Professor Dumbledore's office.

Hermione had been sitting next to Remus at dinner, the two discussing a theory on wandless magic, when a shy first year tapped her gently on the shoulder. Hermione turned to look at a young boy who she could have sworn was the spitting image of Seamus Finnigan. Her heart dropped. And dropped further as he managed to stammer out Dumbledore's message. She was to report to his office promptly after dinner.

"Miss Granger, please, take a seat." The doors to Dumbledore's office opened before Hermione even had a chance to knock. She stepped over the threshold and her anxiety levels spiked. Something must be wrong.

Hermione sat across from Dumbledore and searched his face with nervous eyes, but the wizard just sat there in front of her in silence.

"Professor Dumbledore…" Hermione tried to prompt him to speak.

"Sherbet lemon?" Dumbledore pushed a small dish across his desk toward her. The bright yellow candies seemed wildly out of place in the dim room. She shook her head slightly.

"Hm well I hope you don't mind if I indulge," Dumbledore chuckled as he popped a lemon candy in his mouth. He was silent for another moment.

"Well, Miss Granger, I'm sure you're wondering why I wanted to speak with you in this evening."

"I had been wondering, sir." Hermione's mind was filling with possibilities. Did he find a way to send her home? Did he find a loophole for her to change the past?

"Professor McGonagall told me she discusses the upcoming NEWTs in class today."

"Yes, sir." Hermione's brow furrowed. "But I don't see why-"

"She also told me you seemed particularly excited." Hermione blushed.

"Well yes, sir. I- I have been looking forward to taking-"

"Which is why," Dumbledore interrupted her again. "I wanted to speak with you."

"Sir?"

"You have a choice, Miss Granger, on whether or not you wish to sit for the exams."

"I don't understand, sir, why wouldn't I?"

Dumbledore stood from his chair and walked over to Fawkes' perch. He ran two fingers across the phoenix's feathers as he spoke, not looking at Hermione.

"You're presence here is a non-linear event, my dear. There was no record of a Hermione Granger in this time before you appeared. While the muggle world may be manipulated into believing you belong in this time, the world of magic cannot."

Hermione's eyes started prickling with the promise of tears. Her mind was already turning over Dumbledore's words as he spoke, but she didn't want to admit it.

"The Ministry of Magic has no record of you. If you were to submit your exams to be graded, there would be no one on record to receive your scores. As such, a request for grading may lead to a in depth inquiry as to the identity of Hermione Granger, which as you can imagine may have dastardly consequences."

Dumbledore shook his hand back into the sleeves of his robe and moved back to sit in front of Hermione. Hermione's jaw was clenched shut and her breathing was strained. Neither spoke for a moment.

"Sir, if I don't have NEWT scores, I don't have any prospects for work, for a career."

"I am truly sorry, Miss Granger. You may not be able to have the career you planned, but I can promise you that you will not be useless. There is always work for the Light which can be done."

Hermione opened her mouth to speak again, but stopped herself. She pushed her chair back and stood up.

"Thank you for telling me, Professor. I appreciate you letting me know."

And with that, Hermione turned on her feet and left.

* * *

**Gryffindor Common Room**

Hermione sat awake in the common room long after her friends had retired to sleep. With a book forgotten in her hands and clouded eyes, her mind was swimming with thoughts. Of course she had given thought before as to what she was going to do after graduation. There was a time when she had believed her future would follow a path, from Hogwarts to the Ministry. Then when times got harder, she had believed that she would one day return to Hogwarts, pass her exams, and work to change the order of the magical world. And when she first arrived in the past, she assumed she would be back home before she would have to decide. But then September had turned to December and now she wasn't sure when she would get back.

She knew it would be hard to find work in this time. She was a muggleborn after all. But now…

No pureblood history to back her and no NEWT scores on top of that? No record of her existence? Hermione couldn't see a path anymore.

* * *

**11 February 1978**

**Hogsmeade Village**

Hermione crossed her arms in front of herself, trying to hold in her body heat. Lily had managed to drag her down to Hogsmeade along with the rest of their classmates.

"Remind again why I'm walking in the cold with instead of reading in front of a giant fire? Why couldn't you have come with James?"

"I've already told you," Lily huffed, her breath puffing out like smoke from a cartoon pipe. "I'm tired of going to Hogsmeade with just James. I miss going with you. And…" The rest of her sentence got lost as she mumbled into her scarf.

"And… what was that?" Hermione, unamused, raised her eyebrow.

"And I have to find him something for Valentine's Day." Lily blushed. Hermione smiled, victorious.

"Well, now that you've finally admitted it, come on, let's find the perfect gift for Mr. Potter."

"What about this?" Hermione held up a plastic owl filled with various candies for Lily to look at. Lily shook her head.

"I don't think so." Lily sighed. The two exited Honeyduke's for the second time that day.

"Lily, are you sure? I think we've looked through every store by now. Why don't we go back to Zonko's and get that little prank box we saw."

"It's not right. It's not what I want to get him."

"Do you know what you want to get him?"

"No, but I'll know. I'll know when I see it." Lily stopped in her tracks, grabbing Hermione's sleeve. "Come on, let's try in here. We haven't looked in here yet."

Lily shuffled into the store leaving Hermione behind. Hermione looked up at the sign: Whisp's Antiques Shoppe.

"Lily, are you sure?" Hermione looked away from the sign, but her friend had already disappeared inside.

Hermione quickly entered the shop. A tiny gold bird in a cage by the window chirped as the door shut behind her. The shop was warm and Hermione thanked Merlin as she slipped off her mittens. She craned her neck to look for Lily, but it was impossible to see throughout the entire shop. The very shelves were piled high with old clocks and birdcages and hourglasses and tiny figurines. Hermione made her way through the maze of shelves looking for Lily. The piles of antiques seemed to shrink as she ventured further and further into the shop.

And then she saw Lily. The redhead was leaning over a glass case talking with a short man who appeared even older than Dumbledore. The nametag on his lapel read Hermes Whisp. Aptly named, the man was frail and thin with a dusting of white hair across his head. His small square glasses sat on the edge of his nose and Hermione wondered how they hadn't slipped yet.

"It's perfect," Lily whispered as Hermione joined her side. The old man behind the counter unlocked the case and pulled out Lily's object.

Hermione's breath caught in her throat.

It was Harry's photo album. The one Hagrid had given him at the end of first year. Hermione didn't know how it was possible, but here it was right in front of her.

"It's perfect," Lily repeated. "I'll take it."

* * *

**13 February 1978**

**Seventh Year Girls Dormitory**

Hermione and the rest of the seventh year girls had retired early from the common room to prepare for the next day. Preparing of course consisted of Dorcas and Lily wrapping gifts for their boyfriends and Hermione, Marlene, and Mary sitting beside them chatting.

Dorcas, who had been dating her Hufflepuff boyfriend since fourth year, had gotten him a nice leather watch. Mary was helping her choose ribbon while Marlene was eyeing Lily's gift.

"So are you two officially dating now?" Marlene nudged Lily playfully. Lily looked up from her wrapping.

"Oh, um, no, I wouldn't say we're dating. We've never really specified that we're boyfriend and girlfriend."

The rest of the girls fell silent and looked at Lily.

"Wait, what?" Marlene asked. "Then why are you getting him a gift? And why one so nice? Honestly Lil, how much did this cost?"

Lily blushed and looked down at the gift in her hands.

"It's hard to explain, I think," she began. "It's like, we don't need to define our relationship. I know how he feels about me. And he does too. We're together. It's quite simple really."

Hermione's heart swelled. She reached over and put her hand over Lily's.

"I think it's wonderful, Lily. Honestly I think you two are perfect for each other."

Lily looked up at Hermione and smiled softly. The rest of the girls voiced their agreement and the topic was quickly changed. As the other girls fell into a new conversation, Lily turned her hand to hold Hermione's and squeezed lightly before pulling away.

Later that night, Hermione and Lily were alone together in the bathroom. Hermione was brushing her teeth while Lily combed through her hair.

"Are you expecting any valentines tomorrow, Hermione?" Lily smirked.

Hermione coughed and spit into the sink. She hid her crimson cheeks as she rinsed her mouth.

"You have to be kidding, Lily. Who would I get a valentine from?"

"Regulus?"

Hermione froze.

"What?"

"You all spend a lot of time together, don't you?"

Hermione coughed again and turned to look at Lily.

"It's not like that. We just study together. I don't like him like that." Hermione shook her head. "And anyway, even if I did, I wouldn't do that to Sirius."

Lily's smirk grew.

"So Sirius then?"

"What?! No! Why would- please- why would Sirius Black give _me_ a valentine?"

"You did kiss him that night you all celebrated your birthday."

"Ugh, don't remind me," Hermione laughed. "You do remember I threw up on his shoes, right?"

Lily laughed. "Okay, but what about over the holidays?"

"What do you mean?"

"James told me Sirius didn't sleep in his own room on Christmas Eve."

Hermione opened her mouth, but no words came out. Lily smirked again.

"So…?" Lily prompted.

"I- Lily…" Hermione stopped and gathered her thoughts.

"Okay fine! He slept in my room- don't give me that look! We didn't _do_ anything! We're friends. Just friends. Friends."

"The lady doth protest too much, methinks." Lily giggled while Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, Lily, I haven't even thought of the possibility of having a Valentine. It seems there's always something going on, what with the full moons and James' mum and NEWTs coming up…" Hermione trailed off as she remembered her earlier conversation with Dumbledore.

"Alright, alright, I believe you," Lily said as the two started to walk out of the bathroom. "But you can't hide behind this stuff forever. We have the rest of our lives ahead of us. You can't go through life forgetting to live it."

And with that Lily flicked her wand and the lights went out.

* * *

**A/N: **Thanks for reading and don't forget to review.

Much Love. -V.


	33. Chapter 33

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **A bit of pre-Valentine's Day fluff! This was supposed to go out a couple days ago but I got sick - so apologies for that! Also, shout out to my Hufflepuff friend who is badgering me to write more! (Get it? Badger?) Okay, anyway enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 33: February, Part II**

**11 February 1978**

**Seventh Year Boys Dormitory**

"Wake up! Wake up! Everybody up! Let's go!"

Remus Lupin lifted his head to see what kind of person would even consider waking him up at this ungodly hour. Sirius Black. Of course. Remus let his head fall back into his pillow and groaned. For a moment he thought he was in the clear, but seconds later his sheets were pulled back, leaving him with nothing to fight the cold morning air.

"Sirius!"

"Come on, Moony," Sirius shouted, his excitement leaking into his voice. Remus could practically see Sirius bouncing on his toes. "You're the last one up. Don't be a git. Get up."

Remus groaned again but he could hear James and Peter already grumbling and rummaging around the room. He knew his friends wouldn't leave without him, but he managed to roll out of bed anyway. Blinking at the bright morning light streaming in from the window that happened to be placed in the worst possible spot in the room, Remus staggered over to the bathroom before he stopped and looked back at his friends.

"Wait, James aren't you going with Lily today?"

James looked up from his shoes, which were somehow giving him some trouble this morning. He opened his mouth to speak but Sirius, obviously, beat him to it.

"James has finally decided to ditch the skirt, my dear Moony!" He reached over and punched James playfully on the arm. "Gang's back together! One night only! It's been a long time coming, but the band's back together! Reunion tour here we come!"

James rolled his eyes.

"You know we all live together right? You see me every day. We eat every meal together." He looked at the other Marauders. Remus was trying not to laugh and Peter just shrugged. "Come on, guys, just because I spend a little time with Lily, doesn't mean I'm not spending time with you!"

This time Sirius rolled his eyes.

"So why aren't you with Evans today? Huh?"

James blushed, but tried to hide it with a smirk.

"S'not like she owns me. I told her I was going to spend the day with my boys."

"She ditched you for Hermione, didn't she?" Sirius barked out a laugh. James nodded and laughed along. Lily Evans had him wrapped around her pretty little finger, and he loved it.

* * *

**Three Broomsticks**

Sirius slammed his empty mug on the table. He shoved a hand out toward Peter, smiling wickedly as his friend begrudgingly placed a few coins in his palm. Peter had bet Sirius he couldn't drink all their butterbeer in less than thirty seconds. And of course, Sirius took, and won, the bet.

Sirius leaned back in his chair, burped, and wiped the last bit of foam from his upper lip. Beside him, Remus' eyes were alive with mirth at the sight of his friend's tomfoolery. Peter, despite having to hand over the money he had planned on spending at Honeydukes, was smiling as well. If someone had taken a picture of the Marauders at that exact moment, it would have perfectly captured their comfort and happiness they all found in their brotherhood… that is until you looked at James.

James was staring out the window with glazed eyes. He was unmoving until he blinked a few times when something seemed to catch his eye. Lily and Hermione were walking down the main road smiling and laughing at some unheard joke. James didn't even feel his mouth slip into a smile at the sight of Lily's happiness. But his friends did.

"Have you gotten Lily a present yet?" Peter nudged James, bringing him out of his daydream.

"Sorry, what did you say?"

"Yeah, mate, don't you need to find Lily a present for Valentine's Day?" Remus raised an eyebrow. "You didn't forget did you?"

"Course he didn't forget, Moony," Sirius smirked at James. "He's had February 14 circled on his calendar since we got back."

The other Marauders laughed at their friend's good fortune. Remus leaned over the table.

"If you want, I can show you were the bookshop is. She might like something from there."

"That's okay, Moony." James smiled confidently. "I've already taken care of it."

This time Sirius leaned over the table. He grabbed James' bags and ruffled through them.

"There's nothing in here but what you got from Zonko's!"

"Prongs, you can't give her something from Zonko's!" "Even I know that!" Remus and Peter chimed in.

James snatched his bags from Sirius' hands and put them away.

"It's not in my bags, you gits. I already have it back at the castle."

The other three Marauders looked at each other for a moment before Sirius spoke up.

"Merlin, you didn't _make_ her something, did you?" He spoke the word as if it were poison. "Prongs, you're doomed." The other two Marauders joined in Sirius' laughter.

"No I didn't make her something," James protested strongly, but as he continued to speak his voice petered out. "I just already have it back at the castle cause I got it a while ago."

Despite James' protests, his three friends continued to laugh and make fun of him. His smile faltered for just a moment before Remus choked on his butterbeer and sputtered all over the table.

The laughter from the Marauders carried throughout the room. Several small groups of students glanced over, contagious smiles replacing their looks of mild annoyance. The collective mood of the Three Broomsticks rose to such a point that if someone had taken a photograph of the room at that moment, it could have served as the official postcard of Hogsmeade.

* * *

**14 February 1978**

**The Great Hall**

Much to Hermione's annoyance, the Great Hall did look quite spectacular in all of its St. Valentine glory. Bubbles in the shape of hearts bobbed along the ceiling as tiny red arrows soared just over the heads of the students. Hermione put a hand to the top of her head to try to tame her mess of hair in fear of getting struck. She rolled her eyes as the younger Gryffindor girls looked adoringly toward the front doors as the Marauders sauntered in.

It was dinner time now and Professor McGonagall was practically blue in the face as she looked on at the couples flaunting in her opinion a grossly inappropriate display of affection. Dumbledore, on the other hand, had a familiar twinkle in his eye as he hummed into his pudding.

As the Marauders approached their usual spots next to Hermione, James slowed his usually confident strut and glanced nervously at Lily. Although James didn't, and frankly in his state couldn't, notice anything less than perfection in her features, Lily's cheeks were quickly approaching the shade of her hair.

The couple in question hadn't seen each other since a quick overlap at breakfast. Tuesday's were Lily's busiest days and she hadn't found a moment free to seek out James, much to her disappointment. Hermione quickly shifted in her seat next to Lily to make an obvious space available for James. With a quick smile of thanks before turning back to Lily, James took his spot.

"Hi."

"Hi."

On anyone else, Hermione would have found the shy romantic awkwardness beyond annoying, but on Lily and James…

"How are you?" James asked, his eyes alight.

"Good, good. Better now," Lily's smile grew as she spoke. "And you?"

"Never better." The two sat in silence just staring at each other for a moment before the spell was broken.

"Oi, can you two get on with it? I've still got two feet of parchment to write before tomorrow and I can't start 'til you're done with the show."

James turned to glare at Sirius, but Lily just laughed beside him. She leaned behind her to pick up her bag and pulled out the present she had wrapped the night before. James raised an eyebrow at the pristinely wrapped package and pulled a small box from his pocket. Hermione's eyes widened as she took it in.

Its light blue wrapping and white bow seemed almost too clean for it to have been done by a teenage boy. Hermione's heart caught in her throat. The small box could easily fit in the palm of her hand, the perfect size for a certain small piece of jewelry. Hermione looked at James with a look caught somewhere between fear and awe.

That is, until James pulled out his wand and the box on the table grew.

Hermione let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and almost burst into laughter when she realized Lily had done the same thing. James, oblivious to all, thrust the box toward Lily in a manner more Peter-like than the calm confidence Hermione had come to associate with James.

A blush flowered on James' cheeks before he looked back up at Lily. Lily, whose eyes were a fierce green, totally alive with life. Lily, whose sweet smile said everything James was thinking but couldn't put into words. Lily, his Lily.

The two tore into their presents as the others cheered them on. Hermione could feel the eyes of other students, but she didn't care. She was happy. Ribbon flew left and wrapping paper flew right. It was a whir of color before her eyes. James and Lily looked at their boxes and then at each other, eyes wide and laughter dancing on their lips.

"You-"

"How did-"

"I didn't."

"Me either."

And then they were kissing, right there at the dinner table. Presents forgotten in their laps, fingers embedded in hair, oblivious to the catcalls from the down the table.

Remus cleared his throat. The reluctant couple parted.

"Mind sharing with everyone?"

"Oi, Moony, I've told you a million times," James chuckled. "Get your own girl."

"Oh shut it, Prongs. Just tell us what you got already."

With big beaming smiles James and Lily held up their respective gifts.

James held up the photo album that would one day belong to his son. And Lily – Lily held up a Polaroid camera. Their presents complemented each other, oh so completely. Hermione's heart swelled as she realized just how perfect these two were for each other.

James puffed out his chest and explained how he had purchased the muggle camera and had it taken in for magical charms. The Polaroid camera could now print moving pictures. The camera looked quite simple when you glanced at it, but if you focused long enough, you could see the faint shimmer of magic around it.

The dinner continued; dessert came and went, but the group stayed. They laughed and chatted and talked until they were one of the last groups still in the Great Hall. And when they finally retired to Gryffindor Tower, there smiles were still as bright. Remus, Sirius, and Peter sauntered ahead up their stairs, and Hermione and the other girls likewise retired.

James and Lily lingered for a moment, holding hands. Lily leaned forward on the tips of her toes and kissed James softly on the cheek. As his eyes closed and he leaned into her, Lily pulled back just as quickly as she had leaned in. When James opened his eyes, Lily was holding her new camera up to her face. James smiled softly, whispered good night, and headed up the stairs.

There had been a moment between the two that passed unnoticed, the simplest of moments as they stood in the Gryffindor common room. It was almost a moment like any other, almost. But if later, you had asked Lily, she would say that she had truly fallen in love with James at that moment.

* * *

**A/N: **Forgot to mention this before, but it's been mentioned in a couple reviews. The whole past versus present question. There's a poll on my profile if you feel strongly either way. And please review!

Thank you!


	34. Chapter 34

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **Two chapters in one day, oh my! Things take a turn for the... well, you'll see. Enjoy and please review!

* * *

**Chapter 34: Ariadne, Theseus, Dionysus**

**20 February 1978**

**The Halls of Hogwarts**

"You're being preposterous."

"Am not."

Hermione and Sirius were walking along the sixth floor corridor. Hermione had just finished a Monday full of classes and had been wandering the halls a bit aimlessly before Sirius had bounded up to her. And as usual there had been no stopping the boisterous young man.

"Sirius, James is not dumping you as a best friend." Hermione rolled her eyes for what seemed like the millionth time in the past five minutes they had been talking.

"Not consciously, but it's happening." Sirius nodded as if he was working with sound logic. Hermione shook her head and looked down at her watch. She sighed with a mixture of relief and reluctance.

"I'm going to be late."

"What for? I'll come with you." Sirius started bouncing on his toes like a puppy. Any other time and Hermione would have found it quite hilarious.

"Oh no, I'm not filling in for James whenever you miss him. That is not what's going to happen."

"Sure, sure, Pup. Wouldn't dream of it. Now where are we going?"

Hermione froze for a fraction of a second before covering for herself.

"Um, actually Sirius, as much as I'd like you to come…"

"Aw, come on, Pup! You can't be bailing on me now. Remus is already in bed with Pre-Moon shite and Peter is god knows where. You're my only hope."

Hermione looked up at Sirius' pouting lips and her heart sank. She hated this.

"Sirius, I –"

"Don't tell me there's someone else," Sirius smirked, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

Hermione was silent. How was she supposed to answer that?

"Merlin, Pup, I was just kidding!" Actual shock flitted across Sirius' face.

"What? No!"

"Does James know about this?" Sirius' was flinging his arms around causing a scene. Hermione looked around them at the several students who occupied the hallway as well. She turned back to Sirius and glared at him. She could feel her skin heating up.

"Sirius, shut up. There's no one else." At her words, Sirius immediately calmed and his playful smirk slid back into place.

"Aw, there it is, Pup. I knew you only had eyes for me."

Sirius bumped her playfully, but Hermione could already feel rage simmering under her skin. Sirius' touch sent a shock through her system that made her lip twitch. The inconsistency of the past few full moons had sent her wolf on alert earlier than she had expected. The itching in her veins had begun with a vengeance. Pup was there and she wasn't there to play. Words burst out of Hermione's mouth before she knew what she was doing.

"I'm meeting your brother! Happy now!?"

Sirius' face fell.

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh," Hermione said. Her voice was still sharp and loud but tinged with regret. "Now leave me alone, Sirius, before I do something we both regret."

Sirius slowed his pace to allow her space to stomp away. He stood still for a moment, watching her seek out his brother, before he turned and left.

* * *

**The Room of Requirement**

Hermione burst into the room and slammed the door behind her. She made her way over the small table in the corner and began dropping her books and clothes to the ground.

"You have no idea what kind of day I had," she began as she leaned down to untie her shoes. "And then right before I got here, I ran into Sirius. Regulus, you're brother drives me insane, absolutely insane. Ugh, I'm so glad we're doing this today. I really need…"

Hermione's words drifted away as she turned around to face the empty room.

"Regulus?"

Hermione's voice echoed off the walls. She was alone.

"Regulus?"

Hermione's mind, so normally calm and rational, was quickly spiraling. She could feel her inner wolf pushing thoughts around in her brain, rearranging her emotions, and before she knew it, Hermione had collapsed into a sobbing mess on the floor.

She cried for hours.

Her noises sounded pathetic and weak to her own ears, but it only made her cry more. Her boiling blood had receded back to a simmer, but Hermione knew it hadn't been enough. Her chest hurt and her eyes burned and she had dug her fingers into her palms until the crescent indents left by her nails were spotted with blood. Hermione looked at her torn hands and the blood under her fingernails, and for the first time since Remus had bit her in the drawing room of Grimmauld Place, Hermione felt like an animal, a monster.

She choked on a sob and smeared her palms on the front of her blouse. The movement of her hands caused the blood to streak in the pattern of claws, as if some invisible monster had tried to eat her heart.

Finally, Hermione rose to her feet, albeit a bit unsteadily. She picked up her belongings and left the Room of Requirements without a single look behind.

* * *

By the time Hermione arrived at the portrait of the Fat Lady, her muscles were contracting again with angry excitement. Her veins popped under her skin as her blood threated to overheat. Hermione could feel Pup pulling at her consciousness, begging to take over, to ease the pain.

The Fat Lady was asleep, and Hermione vaguely wondered just how long she had been in the Room of Requirement. She opened her mouth to wake the portrait, but before she spoke, it opened from within to reveal a disheveled Sirius Black.

"Hermione?" Sirius' eyes shifted through a multitude of different emotions at once. Recognition. Relief. Affection. Concern. Anger. "Pup, what happened to you?"

Sirius reached out to take her arms in his hands and led her away from the portrait toward a small nook in the hallway. He ran his hands up her arms and pulled her a step closer. His eyes flitted from her mess of hair to her tear stained cheeks to her bloodstained shirt. He steadied her in front of him and looked hard into her eyes.

"What did he do to you? Pup, tell me." Sirius' walls crumbled as Hermione winced and shook her head, lowering her eyes. When he spoke again his voice was desperate, breaking. "Please, Pup, please."

"H-h-he wasn't there." Her voice was hoarse much to her surprise and Sirius could barely hear her. Hermione raised her gaze to look at Sirius. Her eyes were quickly drowning in pain and hurt and tears. "Sirius, I don't know what to do. It hurts."

Sirius opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn't find anything to say, anything to do. He just looked at her, at this girl before him. This girl who he had never seen in this kind of pain and, as he was quickly realizing, this girl he never wanted to see hurt again. As tears fell from Hermione's eyes, Sirius' own began to fill with an affection Hermione could only remember in her dreams if she concentrated on a night a man had made her promise to return.

"Hermione," Sirius' voice was soft as his breath ghosted over Hermione's nose. "If there's anything you need…"

The levee broke.

Hermione crushed herself to Sirius, taking his lips in a searing kiss. Her tears smeared across his cheeks as she clung to him like a lifeline. Sirius stiffened for a single moment before moving his fallen hands to grasp Hermione's waist, closing the distance between the two even more. For a few moments, it seemed as if Hermione and Sirius were pouring their very souls into each other.

But the blood in Hermione's veins continued to boil. And the kiss that had begun so desperate, so sweet, became bruising and determined. Hermione's fingers snaked down to tug at the bottom of Sirius' jumper. Sirius moved ever so slightly to allow the witch before him to pull the offending garment over his head. In return, he spun Hermione around so her back hit the stone wall. Somewhere in Hermione's mind a small voice noted she might have a small bruise in the morning, but the noise was quickly overpowered by the airy breaths coming from Hermione's mouth as Sirius attacked her neck.

"Padfoot?"

At the sound of Remus' voice, Hermione pushed away Sirius, who just barely caught the gold receding from her eyes. Hermione and Sirius' eyes widened at the same time before they glanced toward to portrait to the Gryffindor common room. The two canines fell silent as they focused on the footprints of their friend. Remus hadn't yet made it to the Fat Lady, but he was close.

Before Remus could pull a breath to call for Sirius again, Hermione had dipped under Sirius' arm and sprinted through the portrait hole, leaving Sirius alone with ruffled hair, pink cheeks, and a faint scent of lavender.

* * *

**A/N: **Let me know what you think! Much love!


	35. Chapter 35

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **Getting back on track. Massive apologies for how long this took. I hope you're still here with me. Thank you all for sticking around.

* * *

**Chapter 35: A Pin Drops**

_"__Hermione," Sirius' voice was soft as his breath ghosted over Hermione's nose. "If there's anything you need…"_

_The levee broke._

_Hermione crushed herself to Sirius, taking his lips in a searing kiss. Her tears smeared across his cheeks as she clung to him like a lifeline. Sirius stiffened for a single moment before moving his fallen hands to grasp Hermione's waist, closing the distance between the two even more. For a few moments, it seemed as if Hermione and Sirius were pouring their very souls into each other. _

_But the blood in Hermione's veins continued to boil. And the kiss that had begun so desperate, so sweet, became bruising and determined. Hermione's fingers snaked down to tug at the bottom of Sirius' jumper. Sirius moved ever so slightly to allow the witch before him to pull the offending garment over his head. In return, he spun Hermione around so her back hit the stone wall. Somewhere in Hermione's mind a small voice noted she might have a small bruise in the morning, but the noise was quickly overpowered by the airy breaths coming from Hermione's mouth as Sirius attacked her neck._

_"__Padfoot?"_

_At the sound of Remus' voice, Hermione pushed away Sirius, who just barely caught the gold receding from her eyes. Hermione and Sirius' eyes widened at the same time before they glanced toward to portrait to the Gryffindor common room. The two canines fell silent as they focused on the footprints of their friend. Remus hadn't yet made it to the Fat Lady, but he was close._

_Before Remus could pull a breath to call for Sirius again, Hermione had dipped under Sirius' arm and sprinted through the portrait hole, leaving Sirius alone with ruffled hair, pink cheeks, and a faint scent of lavender._

* * *

Sirius was still standing in the hallway unmoved when Remus emerged from behind the portrait. He took a look at Sirius, narrowed his eyes, and motioned for Sirius to follow him into the common room.

"Um, what just happened?" Remus had pushed Sirius toward a pair of chairs near the dying fire, but Sirius had yet to sit down. Sirius' eyes finally cleared at the sound of Remus' voice.

"Huh?"

"What just happened, Padfoot?"

"Uh," Sirius just stared at Remus. "I don't know?"

"You don't know?" Remus raised an eyebrow in skepticism as Sirius shook his head. "You don't know why Hermione just ran through here like a boggart was chasing her?"

Sirius sighed and sat down in the chair across from Remus. As he moved his hand toward his face to run his fingers through his hair, he could feel the heat coming off from his flushed face. He glanced at Remus, hoping the werewolf couldn't see the ghosting of blush on his cheeks or the slight swell of his lips. Thankfully the werewolf was experiencing his own pre-moon pains, and as much as Remus was trying to be a concerned friend, he was severely struggling to keep his eyes open.

Sirius rose to his feet and grabbed Remus' arm, hoisting him up.

"We can worry about Pup tomorrow," he shuffled them toward the stairs to their dorm. "You look like hell, Moony."

"Have you looked in the mirror today, Pads?"

"I look damn good and you know it."

Remus scoffed out a laugh as he and Sirius disappeared behind their door.

* * *

**21 February 1978**

**Seventh Year Girls Dormitory**

When Hermione woke up she noticed two things. First, her head was throbbing. But it wasn't just her head. Her entire body pulsated with a throbbing pain. Second, something close by smelled _really_ good. Hermione's tongue darted out to wet her lips and she froze. Something didn't smell good – it tasted good. Like fresh leather, the woods at dusk, and… wild blackberries. Hermione groaned and refused to open her eyes even as the memory of her encounter with Sirius danced before her eyes.

"Hermione?" Lily stood at the edge of Hermione's bed, her fingers fiddling with the fraying edge of her jumper. "Hermione, are you okay?"

A quiet groan emanated again from the depths of her pillows. Lily chuckled.

"I'll take that as a no." She opened the curtains to Hermione's bed and sat down next to her. "Are you okay?"

Hermione shuffled under her blankets to look at Lily, although really all she wanted to do was hide her face forever.

"I don't know what's happening." Lily started to rub Hermione's back in sympathy.

"Is it pre-moon stuff?" Hermione nodded. "I thought Regulus was supposed to help with that." Hermione closed her eyes, but Lily could still see tears wetting her eyelashes.

"He didn't show yesterday."

The two sat in silence for a moment.

"What does that mean? Are you okay?"

"I don't know." Hermione shuffled again to sit up, bringing herself level with Lily. "I think she's mad."

"Who?"

"My inner wolf," Hermione chuckled darkly. "Merlin, that sounds strange to say out loud. I think she's upset with me. It's been a rough couple of months with Christmas away from Hogwarts and then back again. She's unsettled. And now with Regulus not showing… I think she's taking it out on me."

"That's awful!"

Hermione just nodded. She feared if she opened her mouth again she'd tell Lily _everything_ that happened. Images and feelings flitted across Hermione's brain, bringing a flush to her face.

"It looks like you're heating up!" Lily jumped to her feet. "Don't worry, Hermione. You stay and rest and I'll talk to Professor McGonagall."

Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but Lily just shushed her gently before moving away and closing the curtains of Hermione's bed behind her.

Truly though, Hermione had not intended to speak up against missing classes for the day – a thought that would have shocked her if she wasn't so tired and sore. In fact, however, she had had all intentions of begging Lily to stay so that she wouldn't have to be alone with her thoughts, specifically her thoughts of one grey-eyed Marauder.

Her inner wolf was definitely upset with her. Hermione was still very much a young werewolf, only having experienced only five full moons, the last two of which she had spent in a different place than the one previous. And now her pre-moon schedule had been disrupted.

Despite the ache in the depths of her bones and the fatigue that gripped her, Hermione couldn't bring herself to blame her lycanthropy. She understood the disorientation. She herself was disoriented. And thinking back to the night before, she remembered her inner wolf struggling to gain control in order to ebb the pain.

And ebb it she did… if only for a few moments.

Even alone in her bed, Hermione blushed from the embarrassment of her actions. She had _attacked_ Sirius, and worse still, she wasn't fully convinced that she hadn't enjoyed it. She closed her eyes remembering the feel of his lips against hers and his hands at her waist, the strength of his chest under her palms and the drumming of his heart. Hermione's eyes snapped back open and she turned over on her side to groan into her pillow.

She had attacked Sirius. Sirius Black, for Merlin's sake. _Her best friend's godfather_. What would Harry say? Hermione felt the tears on her cheeks before she even realized she was crying.

She missed Harry. She missed Ron. She missed _her_ time. Despite its obvious faults – being on the run for one – she had been comfortable. She had known how things worked. She hadn't needed to worry about making friends or surviving her instincts or stirrings in her stomach that weren't exactly unpleasant. Moving a hand to her neck, Hermione fingered the moonstone necklace that hung around her neck, the only link she had to her home, her time, her people. Hermione rolled onto her side, her tears falling back home and burning her eyes.

* * *

Sirius was at a loss. He watched his feet as he paced circles at the bottom of the stairs. With every noise from the rooms above, Sirius's eyes snapped up, but each time when no one appeared he sighed and began to pace again. Finally, however, a figure appeared at the top of the stairs and a shadow fell across Sirius' feet.

"Sirius?"

Sirius looked up at Lily and tried to hide the disappointment in his eyes with a playful smile.

"Morning, Lilly," Sirius bowed and winked. "Is Hermione awake?"

"Poor thing isn't feeling well today," Lily shook her head. Sirius missed the knowing look in her eyes as she watched him for his reaction. "I think she's come down with whatever was bothering Remus yesterday."

To his credit Sirius had been keeping Remus' secret for years and his poker face was quite practiced. Yes, his poker face regarding Remus' lycanthropy was more than convincing, but his poker face regarding Hermione…

"Oh, so is she not coming to breakfast?" Sirius tried his hardest to sound nonchalant. Lily smiled.

"No, is Remus?"

"No."

The two stood awkwardly in the empty common room for a second.

"Want to go find James?" Sirius' playful smirk fell back into its usual place. Lily laughed and reached for his arm to lead him to the Great Hall.

* * *

Hermione couldn't fall asleep, and not for lack of trying. She tried counting sheep, counting dragons. She tried slowing her breathing. She tried piling her pillows together. She tried no pillows. She tried reading _Hogwarts: A History_. Hell, she even tried translating _Hogwarts: A History_. But despite the obvious exhaustion in her limbs and bones, Hermione could not calm her brain down.

No classes meant she didn't have to face the embarrassment that was sure to ensue if she were to encounter Sirius. Hermione was petrified by the chance that she would attack him again. So yes, no classes was good, but it also meant that she had nothing to think about all day except for the embarrassment of her encounter with Sirius yesterday.

Hermione cast a quick tempus and, satisfied that her fellow students would be right in the middle of lunch, slipped from her bed. She padded across the room and out of the door, pausing to peek into the common room for stragglers. Seeing none, Hermione made her way down the stairs and then back up toward the boys' dormitories.

"Remus?" Hermione whispered as she slipped into the room. "Remus, are you awake?"

Remus groaned in response from under his blankets. Hermione smiled and crossed the room to sit on his bed.

"Remus, can I talk to you about something?"

Remus groaned inwardly. He cared about Hermione, yes, but honestly, the last thing he wanted to do today was anything but sleep. He was used to his friends trying to bother him before the full moon so he turned over to face Hermione, confident he could get her to leave him alone. And yet, seeing the look on her face sent a wave of worry coursing through his veins. Remus sat up immediately, making room for Hermione to lay beside him despite the ache in his limbs.

"Sit," he groaned out. Hermione obliged with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. She looked worried. "You can talk to me about anything."

"I know, but," she paused. "This seems different."

"Are you okay?"

Hermione sighed and rested her head on Remus' shoulder. She still wasn't convinced she was making the right choice.

"If I tell you something, do you promise not to get mad or weird about it?"

"I promise." Hermione felt his body vibrate with a light chuckle.

"No, Remus, you have to really promise because you're going to want to be mad or weird or I don't even know."

"Okay, I solemnly swear that I, Remus Lupin, will try my hardest not to be mad or weird or whatever."

Hermione nodded against Remus but didn't speak immediately. Gathering her thoughts, she sighed and pursed her lips together.

"I kissed Sirius."

Remus' eyes snapped wide open and he looked down at Hermione. A million thoughts ran through his mind, but the most prominent ones were leaning towards _what the shit_.

"Voluntarily?" Remus tried to joke. Hermione winced.

"Sort of…" Remus' face hardened and Hermione saw the concern and anger flash in his eyes. "No, no Remus, not like that. _I_ kissed _him_. Well actually Pup kissed him."

Remus didn't say anything. Hermione chuckled awkwardly and tried to fill the silence.

"Not so much kiss as attack really. It was all a bit sudden, but suddenly I was against the wall and his jumper was coming off and then you called from inside –"

"Stop, stop, I really don't want all the details." Remus clenched his eyes shut. Hermione blushed.

"Sorry."

The pair sat side by side in silence for a few minutes, hearts beating in their ears.

"I'm not really sure what you want me to say."

"I'm not really sure I know what I want you to say."

After a moment, Remus slowly lifted him arm to put in around Hermione's shoulders, drawing her closer. Hermione let her head rest on Remus' chest and let the gentle beat of his heart soothe her racing mind. She could already feel her pulse slowing to match his steady thrum.

"Okay, let's just take this slow, okay?" Remus spoke slowly and softly. "Who kissed Sirius?"

"Remus, please don't make me say it again."

"No wait, this is a valid question." Remus shifted a bit under Hermione. "Did you kiss him or did Pup?"

"Oh." Hermione thought on it for a moment. "I mean it was me but not me at the same time. I remember kissing him and I was present in the moment, but it was like I had no control over my actions."

"Okay, so Pup kissed Sirius." Remus spoke so calmly that Hermione began to picture the older werewolf speaking to her in him professor voice. It made her smile. "Next question. Why did Pup kiss Sirius?"

"Regulus never showed yesterday. I waited and waited, but he just never came. And I was so angry and –," Hermione paused. "It was a break in the program. The past few moons have been… unsettling."

"Okay, so you were on edge and not in complete control." Remus felt Hermione nod against his chest. He took a deep breath and watched as she rose and fell with him. "But why did Pup _kiss_ Sirius?"

Hermione didn't respond. Her mind was trying to process what exactly Remus was asking, and she wasn't quite sure she was ready to go down that road. She was quiet so long that Remus opened his mouth to repeat the questions.

"Her-"

"Don't."

More silence. Hermione closed her eyes and took a breath.

"Can I stay here? For a little while? I just want to sleep and I won't bother you anymore. It hurts and I just – I don't think I could make it back to my bed."

"Hermione –"

"Please, Remus," Hermione looked up at him with big round eyes. Remus felt a swell of protectiveness building in his chest. "Let's just sleep, okay?"

"Okay, Hermione."

* * *

Hermione was fast asleep against Remus, her lips slightly parted and her curls splayed across his arm. Remus, on the other hand, was wide-awake. He wanted to be annoyed with Hermione. He'd just wanted to sleep the pain away after all. But something inside of him refused to let him be upset with her. Something inside of him was softly urging him to find Sirius and throttle him for causing her distress. He didn't understand it, this fierce protectiveness, and frankly it scared him a little. But he still felt it.

So Remus sat by Hermione's side awake and alert as the hours ticked by. A million thoughts flicked through his head preventing the same peaceful sleep that Hermione had already succumbed to. It wasn't until just after dinnertime that Remus dared wake the sleeping werewolf in his bed.

He nudged Hermione awake, telling her dinner was almost over. The imminence of Sirius' return to the dormitory was enough to get her out of bed and out the door. Remus walked her all the way to the bottom of her stairs with a comforting hand at the small of her waist.

"Remus?" Hermione turned to look at Remus. The two were alone in the common room save a trio of second years by the fire.

"Yes, Pup?"

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

Hermione started up the stairs but halfway up turned around again.

"Remus?" Remus smiled softly from his spot at the bottom of the stairs.

"Yes, Pup?"

"Please don't talk to Sirius about this." Remus chuckled.

"Wouldn't dream of it."

As Hermione disappeared up the stairs, Remus sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He turned to trudge back to his bed, cursing under his breath.

"Well this is a bloody mess."

* * *

**A/N:** But where's Regulus?! Don't worry I'm also missing him! He'll be back soon, I promise!

Thank you for reading and please review!

Much Love. -V.


	36. Chapter 36

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **Hi! I promise I haven't abandoned Pack Mentality. I'm here, I'm still writing. It's still coming, don't worry. Thank you all for sticking with me.

* * *

**Chapter 36: Bad, Bad Moon**

**21 February 1978**

**Seventh Year Boys Dormitory**

Remus had just managed to fall back asleep when James, Sirius, and Peter came barreling back from dinner. Apparently something had occurred during the meal that was so hilarious that it warranted laughter at an ungodly volume. Remus wanted to melt into his bed sheets. He groaned loudly in an attempt to remind his friends of the horridness of his suffering before shifting around in his bed to face away from the door.

The other three Marauders shared a look of understanding and instantly quieted their laughter but maintained their conversation. The three boys shed their ties and robes, and the messes around each of their beds grew in size. Peter flopped onto his bed, leaning over the side to dig through his trunk for a spare quill he could have sworn he had seen the day before. James was already by the door again, waiting for his friends and playing with his golden snitch. Sirius was walking out of the bathroom and passing by Remus' bed when he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.

Taking a slow, deep breath, Sirius turned toward his bedridden friend.

"Found it!" Peter's voice rang out and dragged Sirius' attention away from Remus. The shortest Marauder was holding up a quill proudly like a flag as he gathered his bag and joined James at the door. James chuckled at Peter before raising an eyebrow toward Sirius.

"You coming, mate?"

Sirius looked between James and Remus before shaking his head.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." Sirius followed his friends through the door, but not before glancing back once more at Remus. The werewolf didn't miss Sirius' face flash with hurt and betrayal.

* * *

**23 February 1978**

**Gryffindor Common Room**

Sirius' skin itched, but it was a strange itch, almost as if there was a ghost layer of skin that had settled upon him. Honestly he felt as if he were going through his own pre-moon struggles, and Hogwarts' two resident werewolves were completely to blame.

Three days. It had been three days since he had even seen Hermione. Two days since he had really talked to Remus. And not for lack of trying. Sirius had honestly tried his hardest to seek the two out. But he had just so happened to have gotten detention with Filch _and_ needed to finish an essay for McGonagall _and_ had to completely redo his potions assignment. Every time Sirius started to make his way back to the Gryffindor common room, he had to turn around to deal with another million problems. All in all he was quite anxious to finally be able to speak to Remus and Hermione.

Sirius, James, and Peter were sitting by the blazing fire, patiently waiting for the two werewolves to finally descend from their beds. Remus arrived first, eyes already showing hints of the wolf within. He moved to join the other Marauders as Sirius stood up in the hopes of having words before –

And just as Sirius opened his mouth to speak, Hermione descended her own stairs. Having spent the past few nights tossing and turning, her hair was about as wild as Remus' eyes. Seeing Sirius and Remus standing so close, Hermione's cheeks reddened as she glanced at Remus with panic in her eyes. Remus left Sirius' side to reach Hermione. The smile he gave her sent a wave of warmth through her body and eased the tension between her shoulders. She returned the smile fondly.

A cough echoed from across the room. Hermione blinked. She seemed to have forgotten they weren't the only ones in the common room. Glancing around, Hermione caught the eye of Lily, who was studying by a window with Dorcas. Lily winked and motioned a quick thumbs-up, before turning back to distract Dorcas.

"Ready to go, Pup?" And suddenly James was beside her, offering his arm with a wide grin on his face. Not for the first time that day Hermione's heart ached for her own Potter.

The pack made their way down to the Whomping Willow extra carefully that night. Without the help of the Marauders Map, they were not only more likely to be found but more likely to get into trouble. That night there was no whispering on the stairs or playful joking in the halls. The Marauders kept quiet as they snuck through the castle into the cold night air.

James led the group, streaking across the grounds with practiced steps. Hermione and Remus followed closely behind. The two leaned on each other for support. Sirius and Peter brought up the rear until Peter transformed into his Animagus form with a squeak. Not bothering to watch his friend dart ahead to still the Whomping Willow, Sirius kept his pace, lost in his own head.

Sirius' mind was a convoluted mess. There was too much he was trying to consider. His loyalty to the Marauders, his loyalty to himself, whatever was going on with Hermione, whatever was going on with Remus… it was too much. Sirius was drowning in a million thoughts and then suddenly a cry summoned him back to the present.

Somehow they had already made it to the Shrieking Shack without Sirius noticing. The cry sounded again. Sirius looked across the room to see Remus crouched down in front of the screen that protected Hermione's privacy. Remus groaned in pain as his ribcage expanded. Hermione answered in kind. Sirius winced.

Suddenly, a small hand shot out from behind the screen, nails scraping at the wood floor. Without a glance, Remus moved his shaking hand to meet Hermione's. A few fumbling seconds later, the two were gripping the other's hand so tightly their knuckles were white. They held hands until their cries and shouts faded to whimpers.

* * *

**24 February 1978**

**Hospital Wing**

Remus woke first. He knew it had been a bad moon even before he felt the pain. He was already in the hospital wing, and since he had no recollection of walking there himself, he knew something had gone wrong. As his eyes adjusted to the sterile brightness of the hospital wing, a body stirred beside him.

"Merlin, I thought you'd sleep forever mate."

"Kind of wish I could," Remus replied. He winced as he tried to sit up. James moved from his seat to help his friend readjust.

"Nonsense, Moony. Then who would help me with Ol' Slughorn's essay?"

Remus chuckled and winced again. James' boyish smile fell.

"What happened, Prongs?" Remus was starting to get worried. "I haven't felt this bad after a full moon in years."

"It was bad," James said, his voice low. "Real bad, Moony."

"I didn't—" Remus couldn't bring himself to finish the question. James shook his head.

"Padfoot, Wormtail, and I are all fine. A bit scraped up, but nothing major."

"Then what—" Remus' heart rate picked up. "Hermione."

James was silent for a minute. Remus took the time to survey the rest of the room. Hermione wasn't in any of the beds beside him. He looked around James. Hermione was across the room with a passed out Sirius draped over the chair next to her bed. Remus tried to discern what kind of state she was in but couldn't see much.

"Trapner had to separate you two. Apparently you're quite protective in your sleep."

"James, what happened?" Remus' voice had lost its earlier calmness and shook slightly.

"She just kind of lost it, mate." James sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "At first it seemed normal. She was just kind of staring at all of us and then, well, she started crying, whimpering. She wouldn't look at us, and then she was throwing herself at the walls and attacking herself. Padfoot tried to distract her, but each time he got close, you would run at him. It was like you were trying to protect her, but it was just so messed up.

"Finally she seemed to realize we were there again and then it just got weird. The noises she made—" James stopped to shake his head as if clearing his head. "She tried to separate us all, kind of corral us into separate corners. I swear she almost ate Peter, but he says he was fine. It took us a while, but we finally realized what she was trying to do and just went along with it. Then she just went into the middle of the room. I don't think any of us moved until morning we were so scared she'd start hurting herself again."

James looked down at his hands. Remus' eyes were laced with shock.

"I don't know if you've ever heard a wolf cry like that before, Moony, but just this once you should be glad you can't remember anything."

Silence descended on the pair, but James and Remus shared a knowing look. In their own ways, they had become responsible for Hermione, and now she was hurting. Somehow they had failed her.

Suddenly, the doors to the hospital wing burst open with a bang. Sirius' eyes shot open as his body snapped up out of the chair. Voices carried into the room as two bodies appeared, one after the other.

"You can't go in there!" The Marauder's recognized Peter's voice cry out in desperation.

"I'll do whatever the bloody hell I want, Pettigrew. Get out of my way." James shot to his feet, glancing at Sirius, as none other than Regulus Black shoved Peter aside to move toward Hermione's bed.

All the anger that had been blazing on the Slytherin's face disappeared the moment he saw the sleeping girl. Regulus' face held a kind of affection the kind of which Sirius had never known his brother to possess.

"How is she?" Regulus didn't look away from Hermione as he addressed his brother. Without waiting for a reply, he moved closer and reached out a hand. His fingers ghosted over a bruise on Hermione's wrist. Sirius' lip curled into a sneer. He grabbed Regulus by the front of his shirt and shoved him away from the bed.

"Don't. You. Dare." Sirius was livid. Regulus moved to step forward again, but thought better of it. He squared his shoulders and hardened his gaze.

"You're not the only one who cares for her, you know."

"Don't you dare act like you care for her!" Sirius stepped menacingly toward his brother, putting himself between Regulus and Hermione.

"I do!" The brothers seemed dangerously close to a fight, but the other three Marauders were frozen in a mix of shock and confusion. "What did you _animals_ do to her!?"

"Us?!" Sirius barked out a laugh, but his eyes held only rage. "You think we're the reason she's like this? Look in the mirror, little brother. This was you."

Regulus' face shifted to horror.

"You're the reason she tore herself apart, the reason we had to carry her back unconscious, the reason she's had to drink nearly all the healing potions in this damn place."

"I—"

"She trusted you. For some unknown, completely fucked up reason, she trusted you to help her." As Sirius continued, Regulus took a step back and then another. "You fucked up. You broke her. And you better get the hell out of here, or I'm going to break you."

Regulus glanced one last time at Hermione before fleeing out of the hospital wing.

Her eyes were open.

The hospital wing was silent as the Marauders all watched the door through which Regulus had just disappeared. Hermione stared at Sirius' back, watching the motions of his heaving shoulders slow as his breathing calmed down. Finally, it seemed the other Marauders were able to move again. James just turned and stared at Sirius. Peter began to move toward the grey-eyed boy. Remus was the only one who noticed Hermione was now awake.

"Come on, mate. Let's go to the kitchens to get something for Remus and for Hermione when she wakes up." Peter pulled slightly on Sirius' arm and tried to lead his still seething friend from the hall. Sirius wrenched his arm away but followed Peter nonetheless.

When he deemed the two far enough away, James turned to Remus.

"What. The fuck. Was that."

Instead of responding, Remus just shifted his eyes toward Hermione. James turned around, following his gaze. A lump formed in his throat as his took in the sight before him. Tears streamed down Hermione's cheeks as her face contorted from the pain caused by her trying to sit up. James rushed to her side and helped her settle, just as he had with Remus just minutes before.

The blood had been cleaned from her face hours before but the faint stain of crimson remained on her face and arms. Her fingernails were split and broken, and dirt and blood were still lodged underneath them. Her bottom lip was split and the left side of her face was badly bruised. Hermione's stomach rolled as she caught a glimpse of the empty bottle of Skelegrow beside her bed. She tried to smile at James but could only manage a weak grimace.

"Pup…"

"It's my fault, James," she spoke. Her voice was hoarse and she couldn't meet his eyes. "It's all my fault."

James reached for her hand and glanced back at Remus with confusion and pity swimming in his eyes.

"You should be sleeping," Remus said from his bed. He was back in Professor-Mode. Hermione flinched the tiniest amount at the no-nonsense tone of his voice, but Remus still saw. The next time he spoke, the warmth returned. "You still need to rest."

The two werewolves stared at each other for a minute, battling out silently until finally Remus groaned and got out of bed. James' eyes followed him as he lumbered over to Hermione. She smiled softly and motioned for the two to sit at the foot of her bed. James immediately complied, but Remus shook his head and stood with his hands on the end rail, muscles taut. Hermione thought for a moment that Remus looked like one of those soldiers from World War II, all dirty and tired, but underneath it all some incredible strength of body and mind.

"Is anyone going to tell me what's going on?"

"It's my fault, James." Hermione spoke after a deep breath. "No, don't start, Remus. It is my fault." She shifted her gaze back to focus on James.

"Regulus didn't show up to our sessions before the moon. That's why I was… such a monster."

Remus flinched and opened his mouth, but James spoke first.

"Um okay, first of all you're not a monster. At all. You had a tough moon, but honestly believe me when I say, we –" he motioned between himself and Remus. "We've seen worse. And you have nothing to feel guilty or ashamed about with us – ever."

"And secondly, I'm missing the part where this is your fault and not Regulus'. I thought you said you two had an understanding."

"We do – er, did," Hermione looked down at her hands. "I don't know."

"Well, I'll tell you what I do know." James reached out and lifted Hermione's chin to look into her eyes. "You deserve better. You deserve people who are going to be there 100%. And that's us. All of us. We can be there for you, Hermione. We _want_ to be there for you. You just have to let us."

Hermione was crying now, looking into the eyes of this young man with so much love in his heart. Dumbledore always spoke of the power of Lily's love for Harry, but in that moment, Hermione knew James was capable of just as much.

Remus shifted on the balls of his feet. He could tell Hermione was losing steam. She needed rest, and she wasn't going to ask for peace on her own. Moving to the side of the bed, Remus touched James lightly on the shoulder. Once James met his eyes, Remus nodded toward the door. Nodding in understanding, James got up to take his leave.

"Get some more rest, Pup. I'll see you on the other side."

Hermione smiled sweetly as she watched him leave. When she turned back to Remus, her smile fell. She lowered her eyes in submission and shifted again so she was fully lying down. Her eyes grew heavy as Remus moved beside her. The ache and pain in her limbs ebbed as he climbed into the bed. The familiar wave of comfort and safety that was just so _Remus _swept over her. As Remus pulled Hermione close, she let her eyes flutter close.

"Thank you, Professor," Hermione whispered, breathing Remus' scent deep into her lungs. Remus didn't respond, instead listening to Hermione's breath. In and out. Slowing. In and out. And just before she surrendered to sleep, he spoke.

"You knew this would happen, Pup." He sighed. "You knew this was coming. You can't have both. You can't have both of them. You know who they are – _what_ they are to each other. You know Sirius. You can't ask that of him, at least not now. You have to choose, Pup. You have to choose between them."

"Don't want to choose." Hermione whispered softly. "Don't make me choose."

Hermione's eyes burned with unshed tears as she slipped off to sleep, Remus' words ringing in her ears.

"You'll have to choose or you'll lose them both."

* * *

**A/N:** I hope you all liked this! Let me know what you think!


	37. Chapter 37

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: See bottom**.

* * *

**Chapter 37: Moments**

**25 February 1978**

**The Shrieking Shack**

"I now call to order the ninth official Concord of the Marauders. When your name is called, please respond in the affirmative.

"Mister Prongs."

"Aye."

"Mister Padfoot."

"Aye."

"Mister Wormtail."

"Aye."

"Let the record show all members are present." Dust rose as Remus banged the gavel on the decaying desk.

"Honestly, Moony?" Sirius rolled his eyes at his friend and looked to the other Marauders for support. Peter averted his gaze while James silenced Sirius with a glare. Remus remained unmoved.

"Members will remember the rules set forth by the premier Concord. Please wait until you are called to speak, Mister Padfoot."

Sirius mumbled some choice phrases under his breath, earning him an elbow in the gut from James.

"Mister Prongs, as you called the Concord to order, you may now take the stand."

James raised himself from his position on the floor and traded places with Remus.

"Marauders, I have called this Concord in order to prevent the fruition of what can only be described as a devastation of life as we have come to know it—"

"Can we cut the shit already?" Sirius jumped to his feet. "This was funny for approximately five seconds. What are we even doing here?"

James and Remus glared at Sirius.

"Mister Padfoot will remember Mister Prongs is speaking, and that he should shut his gob."

"Fuck this," Sirius muttered, but sat down nonetheless. James raised an eyebrow. The air thickened.

"All joking aside, I think we need to clear the air and address the elephant in the room."

"Hey—"

"Not now, Peter!" James, Sirius, and Remus shouted simultaneously. Peter's smile fell.

"Just trying to diffuse the tension," he muttered.

"As I was saying," James turned back to Sirius. "Look, mate, I get it. I mean, come one. If any of us were to understand, it's me."

"What are you on about, mate?"

James and Remus shared a look. Remus sighed before placing a hand on Sirius' shoulder.

"Okay, clearly you haven't come to terms with it, so this may come as a bit of a shock—"

"You have feelings for Hermione," James said, wincing a bit.

"Pup?" Sirius shook his head while the other Marauders nodded. Sirius repeated himself. "Pup?"

The Marauders all exchanged looks while Sirius blinked, ran his fingers through his hair, and brought both hands up to rub his face. He looked at the others in disbelief and opened his mouth.

And then he closed it. And paced. He stopped and looked at them again. And then paced again. All the while his friends waited until finally he stopped in front of the other three and looked up.

"Bloody hell."

* * *

**27 February 1978**

**The Library**

"I told you."

She was sitting in the library in her usual spot, surrounded by books none of which are open. Hermione lifted her head to meet the cold stare of one Severus Snape.

"Excuse me?" She asked, partly because she truly didn't hear him and partly because he hasn't spoken to her since the beginning of term.

"I said, I told you." His gaze was frozen until he rolled his eyes. "I told you before, you can't have both."

Hermione stared at the young man before her. She didn't speak for a second. And then it was her turn to stare at him coldly. The controlled man's face shifted for an instant as if shocked by the chill emanating from Hermione. He backed up a few steps and walked away. But not before he heard her final words.

"Watch me."

* * *

She had been hiding in the library since Madame Trapner finally let her leave the hospital wing after lunch. She had considered escaping to the Room of Requirement, but the call of the library was too strong. At least there, among the familiar and unchanging stacks, she could pretend she was home. She could pretend that it was just another year at Hogwarts, that Ron and Harry were skiving off homework to fly around the Quidditch pitch, that the only troubles she had were Voldemort and exams – none of these personal problems.

Hermione was honestly surprised no one had come to look for her in the library. It was, of course, the first place anyone should look if she was missing. But she supposed Remus had advised the others to give her some space, and she was grateful.

Lost in her own mind, Hermione almost didn't notice Regulus slipping behind some shelves. Hermione shot up, not even bothering to gather her books. For all she had been looking forward to this meeting, Hermione had nothing prepared to say o the Slytherin. Part of her wanted to yell and scream and hit the poor boy until he felt her pain, but that part quickly melted away as she looked at him.

Regulus was a mess. In all fairness, he looked even worse than Hermione. His skin was pale and splotchy. The bags under his eyes were dark and defined, and his hair, which was usually so perfectly styled, was looking like it belonged more on the head of James Potter than Regulus Black. His shoulders hung in defeat.

"Regulus?" Hermione approached slowly. He looked up into her eyes, blinking away the thoughts plaguing his mind. He didn't say anything, just looked at her, and she took this time to sit in the chair next to him.

"Regulus, are you okay?"

"How can you even ask me that?" Even his voice sounded defeated. "After what I did?"

Hermione's heart broke and she flung her arms around the boy.

"I've already forgiven you."

At her words, Regulus released himself into her embrace. His head fell to her shoulder and Hermione could feel his tears through her shirt. After a few minutes he pulled away.

"Are you okay, Hermione?" He put his hands on her arms and ran them down to catch her hands. He turned her hands over in his own and stared at them. "I went to visit you, after. You looked- I was so worried."

"I'm okay, Regulus. I promise. I'm okay." She squeezed his hands, and he finally looked up.

"I just don't understand. Why are you talking to me?"

"Because you need me just as much as I need you."

"Hermione, what I did—"

"Regulus, listen. It was bad, is that what you want to here? It was excruciating and terrifying and I never want to feel that way again. I'm not going to lie to you. I was terribly angry with you and disappointed.

Regulus hung his head.

"But I'm here now. Despite the fact that your brother would kill both of us if he knew I was talking to you. Despite the fact that you didn't show up last week. I'm here."

"But why?"

Hermione sighed.

"Regulus, we're friends. We'll make mistakes and hurt each other's feelings, but at the end of the day I'm going to forgive you. Because I care about you and because you are worth fighting for."

Regulus looked at Hermione. His own eyes hardened as he unconsciously grasped his forearm.

"We need to talk," he said before glancing around. "But not here."

* * *

**The Room of Requirement**

When Hermione and Regulus stepped through the threshold into the Room of Requirement, Hermione panicked. The room had shifted into a replica of the library at Grimmauld Place. She glanced worriedly at Regulus' back as he stood in front of her, terrified at what he would say.

"This is the library at my house," he supplied. Hermione breathed as she realized Regulus' desires had supplied the room. "I thought you'd like it."

Hermione walked deeper into the room, running her fingers over the back of what she had considered to be "her" chair. She looked up at Regulus.

"It's amazing."

The young boy smiled before taking a seat on the couch and gesturing for her to join him.

"I don't… trust very easily," he began slowly, waiting for Hermione to settle beside him. "I've never had friends like Sirius has. I don't have many constants in my life."

He flipped open the button on his wrist and began to roll up his sleeve, keeping the inside of his forearm hidden. He sighed and looked back at Hermione.

"I know you trust me, Hermione. I don't know why, but you do. And I guess, in light of it all, you deserve to know the truth." Regulus took a deep breath. Hermione reached out to touch his forearm, turning it over, yet her eyes never left Regulus'.

"I know."

"And you're—"

"Still here." Hermione looked down at the angry blackness that marred his perfect skin. Her eyes prickled. She ran her thumb over the Dark Mark and shuddered. "I meant what I said before Regulus.

"You're worth fighting for."

* * *

**A/N: **My sincerest apologies for how long I've gone without updating. I'm in my final year of undergraduate studies so I've got that little thing called the real world looming in the distance. But, never fear, I've not abandoned PM at all. I have too much planned for this fic to ever let it go unfinished.

My sincerest thanks to all of you sticking with me. I appreciate every follow, every review, every view. It makes me happy to know you all still like the story.

All my love. -V


	38. Chapter 38

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **So in my effort to get back into PM, I totally forgot about my outline. So here's a short little scene that's sort of Ch. 37 Part II.

* * *

**Chapter 38: Clearing the Air**

**27 February 1978**

**Gryffindor Common Room**

It was Monday night, and after a full day of classes, the Marauders still had not had to chance to talk with Hermione. Remus had advised his friends that Hermione might need some space before the pack descended on her. And the other Marauders had agreed to allow her that space, for the time being.

Dinner had been a quiet affair. Hermione was missing, though Lily assured the boys that she had been holed up in the library all day. After the meal, the Marauders perched in the common room, each keeping an eye on the portrait.

Hours passed by and Hermione was nowhere to be seen. Peter was the first to go up to bed, shortly followed by James. Sirius merely grunted when the two took their leave. His eyes hadn't strayed from the entrance to the common room for hours. Remus looked worriedly at his friend and waved his hand in front of his face to catch his attention.

"Mate, are you okay?"

Sirius blinked and looked at Remus.

"Where is she?"

"I'm sure she'll be back soon," Remus suggested. "I told you she needs—"

"She needs space," Sirius cut him off. "I know, I know. You already said. But how do you know that? Did she tell you?"

"No, she didn't tell me. I just – I just know, Padfoot. Trust me."

Sirius snorted under his breath and turned his gaze away from Remus back to the door. Remus rolled his eyes.

"Okay, what was that for?" Remus raised an eyebrow as Sirius shrugged. "Hop off, Padfoot. What was that for?"

"S'Nothing." Sirius fell silent before shifting his whole body to face Remus. "It's just a bit strange, yeah? I mean, I just realized I have feelings for Pup, and yet you're the one acting as if you two have some special connection."

"What are you on about?" Remus pulled back in confusion.

"Just give it to me straight, Moony. Marauder's honor." Sirius took a deep breath. "Do you like Hermione?" Remus' eyebrows shot up. Sirius leaned forward.

"What? No!"

"Are you sure, Moony? Don't lie to me. You don't want to snog her senseless? Shag her in a broom cupboard?"

A growl ripped through Remus' throat. Sirius sat back in defeat.

"Okay, that doesn't mean anything."

"Oh, it doesn't?" Sirius said sarcastically. "What am I supposed to think when you do shit like that?"

"It wasn't me!"

"Oh, so I'm not competing with you, it's _Moony_ I have to worry about?"

"No! That's not what I— Ugh!" Remus raked his fingers through his hair. "Listen, Pads. It's nothing, I swear. It's just a feeling Moony gets around her. It's not romantic. It's like a sense of duty or like an obligation."

"So it's just that she's a werewolf, too? That she's pack?"

"No," Remus started. His fingers tracing the lines of his other palm. "It's different. We're all pack, you, me, Peter, and James. I could feel that before she came. She's part of it now, but it's not that. I mean, yes, I feel protective of you lot, but if I'm being honest…"

Remus closed his eyes.

"If I'm being honest, I know if it came down to it, I'd fight, kill, hell even die for her." He looked deep into Sirius' eyes. "I'd even hurt one of you."

Sirius just blinked, unsure of what to say.

"Can you imagine that, Padfoot? 'Cause I can! I seem to have no problem envisioning tearing Peter limb from limb everytime he gets too close to her. Do you even know how must more terrified I am everytime we do down to the Shack now?"

"Why didn't you tell us, mate?" Sirius said after a moment.

"It's not because she's just another werewolf," Remus said ignoring the question. "At least, I don't think so. There's something else to it. I just know it." He finally looked at Sirius' shocked face.

"It's not like I'm acting on these impulses, or that Moony is for that matter. Or that I even want to!" Remus gave Sirius a sad smile. "It's the potential. It's knowing I could do it."

"I'm sorry, mate." Sirius said simply. "I don't know what to say. Fuck, Moony. What do you want me to say?"

"I dunno. Nothing, I guess. Just- Look, Padfoot. You need to trust me when I say there are no romantic feelings I'm harboring. I promise you I'm not looking to go after Hermione. I'm just being protective."

"I know," Sirius sighed. "I mean I knew even before I asked you. I just, I dunno, needed to hear it from you."

"You got to work on that, mate." Remus smirked. "I mean _I'm _protective, but you're just on some other level. Like that shit with Regulus?" Sirius shook his head.

"Yeah, that was bad."

"You know she was awake, right?"

"Fuck."

"Yeah," Remus said. "I thought you told her you were okay with them hanging out."

"I lied, okay. Obviously, I'm not cool with it." Sirius put his face in his hands, hiding from Remus. "I know it's fucked up – and I think we've already established that I'm fucked up – but I just keep thinking she'll choose Reg over me."

"She's not Walburga." Sirius interrupted Remus with a scoff. "No, but really, she's not. And that's not even counting the fact that she's a muggleborn werewolf."

Sirius chuckled and raised his head. The two friends smiled at each other at the thought of their Pup facing Sirius' mother. Remus cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly.

"Look mate, for what it's worth, I'm good. I know I don't have any right over her, but I approve… of you two… together, I mean."

Sirius tried to suppress his smile, Remus' words meaning more to him than he cared show.

"Yeah, well, make sure Mr. Growly gets the memo."

* * *

**A/N:** It's not much, but I hope you like it just the same.

Thank you for reading! Please review - even something as simple as "I like it" inspires me.

Much love. -V.


	39. Chapter 39

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **So Pack Mentality got nominated for an award. WHAT? Like that is insane (especially after seeing who I was up against). I am extremely humbled. PM got nominated for Best Work in Progress for the 2016 Marauder Medals put on by the Shrieking Shack Society. Thank you to whoever nominated me. You've made me feel very special.

It's the first day of December so my muse got a little too into the holiday spirit. I apologize in advance if I got my facts mixed up with the house elves. Since it is not central to this story, I decided to take some liberties. As always, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 39: Lion Heart**

**March 1978**

**The Room of Requirement**

It had been almost a month since this disastrous February moon, and things were still not quite back to normal among the Marauders. As the school years began to wind down, anxiety over the upcoming NEWT exams rose with the temperature. Hermione found herself constantly in the library, yet ironically more so for a distraction than a quiet place to study. She was caught in a constant loop of anger, frustration, sadness, and guilt. With the loss of the Marauders Map, she and Regulus were able to meet up fairly regularly in the Room of Requirement with the help of a charmed bit of parchment hidden in a book in the stacks by the table they used to share.

Hermione was forthcoming with Regulus. She told him plainly that their continued friendship would have to be kept hidden from the other Marauders and most definitely from Sirius. Regulus, for his part, didn't put up any resistance. In all honesty, he was counting his lucky stars that Hermione was even speaking with him.

Hermione became accustomed to visiting the prefects' bathroom immediately after her time with Regulus. The first time after they had met, she had run into Remus, who was thankfully alone. Remus had taken a single breath and immediately berated her with questions regarding what exactly she was doing with Sirius' brother given everything that had happened. Hermione had barely been able to talk her way out of the confrontation, saying she needed to address Regulus for some sort of closure. Remus, luckily, bought Hermione's story and had only lectured her for fifteen minutes.

Following the encounter with Remus, Hermione took care to remove and replace Regulus' scent. Some days she even went as far as to purposely running into Severus or sharing long hugs with Marlene, who had a penchant for intense perfumes.

Her time with Regulus in the Room of Requirement usually followed the same pattern. They would set up their books in the recreation of the library at 12 Grimmauld Place and attempt to study before abandoning their textbooks altogether in favor of conversation.

The first time Kreacher had appeared, Hermione nearly bit a hole straight through her cheek.

The pair had been lounging on the couch closest to the fireplace when Hermione's stomach growled loudly. She immediately put a hand over herself and blushed. Beside her Regulus laughed.

"It's nearly four, Hermione," he said. "When's the last time you've eaten?"

"I may not have had time for lunch today," she winced. Regulus shook his head and closed his eyes. Hermione raised an eyebrow at him as he scrunched his eyelids closed.

"What are you doing?"

"Shh," he muttered. "I'm trying to see if this will work?"

"If what will—"

_Pop._

"Master Regulus."

Suddenly a house elf was standing before them. Hermione's eyes widened as she took in the familiar snout-like nose and bloodshot eyes of the elf before her. She turned back to Regulus who was looking at Kreacher with a triumphant grin and what seemed like admiration in his eyes.

"What? How?" Hermione stuttered. "I don't understand."

"Hermione, meet Kreacher. Kreacher, meet Hermione."

The tiny house elf finally turned to appraise the witch before him. Hermione felt chills run through her bones as Kreacher stared at her through narrowed eyes. The little house elf even had the gall to poke her sharply in the knee before grumbling under his breath. Hermione could just make out _mudblood_ before Regulus shouted.

"Kreacher, no!"

Hermione snapped back to reality and looked questioningly at Regulus.

"You'll have to forgive Kreacher, Hermione," Regulus explained. "He's been with my family a long time and has picked up a few of the more, um, unsavory opinions toward non-Purebloods."

Hermione simply nodded, still in shock over seeing the house elf.

"Kreacher, Hermione is my _friend_. I listen to her, and you should, too." Kreacher made some sort of grunting noise. "Hermione is a bit hungry. Would you mind gathering some tea and biscuits for us?"

"Kreacher lives to serve Favorite Master Regulus." Kreacher bowed low to the floor before his face shifted. For a moment Hermione though perhaps the elf was having a fit. But then she realized he was smiling. The expression looked so odd of the bitter elf's face that Hermione had to blink several times just to convince herself it was truly there.

With another pop, Kreacher disappeared.

"I didn't know if he'd be able to get in this room," Regulus began as Kreacher returned almost instantaneously with his little arms laden with a setup for tea and a plate overflowing with little cakes and biscuits. Regulus nodded and smiled at the elf, and Kreacher took his leave from the room.

"It's a bit of an ignored fact, house elf magic is. Especially among purebloods, I might add. Most wards, like the ones around Hogwarts, are designed for protection against witches and wizards, maybe werewolves or vampires if you're really paranoid. But most people don't even consider the possibility of house elves, so they're able to get into most places.

"Figured this out my first year. I'd just been sorted into Slytherin and some of the older kids were giving me a hard time about Sirius. Not his fault, but you know, it happened. So I was feeling quiet homesick and had shut myself in my four-poster and just called out to Kreacher. Just called him, as if I was in my room at home. And it worked!"

Hermione smiled at Regulus.

"He must really care for you."

"Oh definitely, I'm his favorite for sure. He respects Mum the most, but I'm the one he really likes. Of course, I suppose it's because I'm the nicest to him. Sirius always thought he was a bit ugly and creepy and told him just as much."

"I know what you mean," Hermione nodded. "Back, uh, back home, there was this elf whose family treated him terribly. It was quite horrible to see. I'll never understand how wizards can be so cavalier about forced slavery."

This time Regulus' eyebrows shot up.

"Forced slavery?"

"Yes!" Hermione was getting excited now. "I mean forcing an entire race of creatures to bend to the whim of witches and wizards – it's revolting. And that's not even considering the potential for abusive homes. House elves deserve better. They deserve to be freed."

"Whoa, whoa there. What are you on about?" Regulus threw his hands up when the full force of Hermione's glare bore down on him. "Hermione, have you ever actually talked with a house elf?"

"Of course I have! I'm quite good friends with some house elves. There's Dobby – he was abused by his family before my friend helped free him. And there's Winky – she's working at school now and recovering from a drinking problem. She's freed as well. And obviously I know Kr- others."

"Okay, so your house elf friends," Regulus began. "You said they're free?"

"Yes, Dobby and Winky."

"Dobby and Winky. Okay, and Winky works?"

"Yes, she was freed, but didn't take to it too well. Hence, the drinking. So she came to work at the school. For a wage, I might add."

"Okay, and this Dobby?"

"Oh, he doesn't work for a family. He's a free elf." Hermione bit her lip. "I mean, he does work with Winky sometimes, and he does help us out whenever my friend calls him."

"So they both work."

"Yes, but—"

"Do they enjoy the work?"

"Yes, but—"

"I'm not disagreeing with you, Hermione. I'm just trying to make a point."

"Which is?" Hermione narrowed her eyes.

"I agree that there are problems with how some wizards treat house elves. I mean, you've never seen Sirius with Kreacher, but trust me. But you have to know that working, for a house elf, is like breathing."

"Only because they've been forced into it!"

"No, Hermione, really! It's in their makeup. It's just a part of who they are."

"I refuse to believe that. No species _wants_ to be subservient to another."

"Have you ever heard of Newt Scamander?" Regulus shifted.

"Of course I've heard of Newt Scamander."

"Have you ever read his essay on the Pureblood approach to magical creatures?"

"No." Hermione fell silent, sensing she was about to be schooled.

"Well, then you didn't read the addendum that explained his research on house elves."

"Newt Scamander researched house elves?"

"Yes, now listen, you might learn something." Regulus smirked. "Scamander's research traced the origins of house elves to the Arctic. Wizards started to explore that area long, long before muggles did. Anyway, this Russian wizard, Alexander Moroz or something, found his way to their little civilization.

"Basically, according to the way they set up their society, the eldest elf was the Master of all the other elves. They built homes and monuments and statues, did anything the Master wanted. And when he died, they tore it all down and began again with a new Master. When Moroz got there, the elves first thought of him as some ancient house elf so they treated him as per their custom.

"Moroz lived up there for years. The elves helped him to survive, sheltered him, clothed him, fed him, and in turn he taught them magic, unlocked the potential within them.

"So you see," Regulus shrugged. "Serving and working is what they do, what they've always done. It's a part of them. Even more so than magic."

Hermione didn't speak for a minute.

"Are you telling me there was an old man who lived at the North Pole with a bunch of elves?"

"Well, that's not the take-away I was hoping you would get, but yes." Hermione stared at Regulus incredulously. "Blimey Hermione, where do you think the muggle fairy tales all come from?"

Hermione burst into laughter.

* * *

Sometimes though, it wasn't all fun and games and tea and stories.

* * *

"It's hurting again, isn't it? Your mark?"

"It's nothing," Regulus said, despite the whitening of his knuckles clenching his forearm. Ignoring him, Hermione opened her book bag to fish out her small beaded bag. She reached her arm in all the way to her shoulder. She returned to Regulus' side and handing him the Calming Drought.

"I'm not even going to ask where you got this," Regulus said before obediently downing the vial in one gulp.

"Good, because I wouldn't tell you." Hermione smiled sadly as she wrapped her fingers around Regulus' and pried them away from his arm. Gently she peeled his sleeve back to reveal the Dark Mark. Regulus raised his eyes to her face, once again looking for a sign of disgust or fear or god forbid pity. Instead, he only saw sadness and a spark of anger he knew wasn't directed at him.

Hermione rolled his fingers over Regulus' arm, taking care not to touch the tender flesh blackened by the Mark. She massaged the sore tendons in his arm.

"Is he calling you?"

"No." They were speaking in whispers now. "It's an echo. He's calling the others."

"I'm sorry, Regulus. You don't deserve this pain."

"Don't I?" Hermione dropped his arm and grabbed his chin, gently forcing Regulus to meet her eyes.

"No. You don't." Hermione's eyes hardened. "You were a child, Regulus. You had no choice. You're not in control of your destiny. Not yet."

"You say that as if one day I'll have a choice. But don't you get it?" He gestured to his Mark. "This takes that all away. _He _took it all away."

"No, Regulus," she whispered as she moved both hands to Regulus' cheeks and her forehead to his. "You will get your choice. I promise you."

"Regulus?" She began again after some time.

"Yes, Hermione."

"I want you to promise me something."

"Anything." The word tumbled from Regulus' mouth before he could stop it, but strangely enough, he felt he didn't want to stop it.

"I need you to trust me, Regulus. To the end." There was something in Hermione's voice that Regulus couldn't place. Something fierce and bold. It reminded Regulus of watching a thunderstorm roll in from the comfort of his room. "I promise that I will be loyal to you, will never intend hard, and will be your confidante without deceit."

"If you let me," she added, blushing. Regulus opened his eyes to see Hermione's own tightly shut. "Oh, please let me, Regulus. It's only going to get harder from here. You need not be afraid of sharing with me. You already know I need you. That I'm going to need you. _I_ trust you, Regulus. Please, just, trust me in return."

Regulus felt as if a tragically short thread, deep within Regulus, lengthened once over.

"With my life."

* * *

**A/N: **I should be studying right now but I got a chapter for you all instead. :) Please review so I don't feel so bad.

Thank you for reading!


	40. Chapter 40

**Disclaimer:** I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, places, descriptions, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary: **It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N:** Special shout out to my Beta/Token Hufflepuff friend/Personal Cheerleader, Mack. Thank you, thank you.

* * *

**Chapter 40: Give and Take **

**March 1978 **

Just as her relationship with Regulus was stabilizing once more, Hermione's relationship with the Marauders shifted as well.

Hermione tended to gravitate most toward James for a multitude of reason—he resembled her best friend, he didn't have as keen a sense of smell as the other, the list went on. Thankfully, Lily wasn't the sort to turn into the green-eyed monster over sharing James' time with Hermione. And given the looks she often gave Hermione, it seemed as though Lily knew more than the others about Hermione's situation.

Remus and Hermione began the month in limbo. Their conversation in the hospital wing had been rough on their friendship, and the confrontation about Regulus' scent had only made things worse. Neither wanted to rehash the argument, but it hung in the air like fog every time the two were around each other. Hermione wasn't sure if she would be able to repeat her outright lie to Remus if he asked her about Regulus again, but it seemed Remus was afraid of the very same thing as he never did. Instead, the two spoke mainly of school and trivial things.

For his part, Sirius tried to talk with Hermione, but it seemed the two could never get a moment alone. Against his very nature, Sirius allowed Hermione her space and tried to be the sort of man she deserved. He stepped away from constantly joking around and harassing Slytherins, instead focusing on the upcoming exam season.

Much to her inner disgust and confusion, Hermione actually found herself spending and, though she would never admit it, enjoying time with Peter, constantly roping Peter into joining her around the castle. At first she used him as a human shield against Remus and Sirius, never allowing herself to be left alone with just one of them, but lately her conversations in front of the fire with Peter became nothing less than a good way to spend her time.

March trudged along, the weather reflecting the turmoil within Hermione's heart. Remus and Peter both had birthdays, and it was on those nights that the pack celebrated as if nothing had changed from the night of Hermione's birthday. They drank and ate and danced in the Shrieking Shack. Remus forgot all about the three gray hairs he had found that morning in the bathroom. Peter forgot all about the letter in which his father complained of the stress he was receiving at work. James forgot about the disturbances in the Daily Prophet and the new column that displayed missing persons.

And Hermione and Sirius forgot to blush when they brushed hands.

* * *

**21 March 1978**

**Seventh Year Girls Dormitory**

Hermione woke to rustling just outside the curtains to her bed. Without lifting her face from the pillows, Hermione shoved an arm out and caught the culprit by the sleeve.

"Lily, what are you doing at this ungodly hour?"

Lily slipped through Hermione's curtains to sit at the foot of her bed. Hermione shifted to look at her friend though squinted eyes. Lily was holding quite a large box drawn up with a big red bow. Hermione just raised an eyebrow. Lily's grin grew to reach both ears.

"Firstly, good morning to you too, Hermione." Hermione winced at Lily's cheerful tone. "Secondly, it's actually pretty late. You've just about missed breakfast."

As panic set into Hermione's eyes and she tried to lurch forward, Lily gently pushed her back to her pillows.

"Not to worry, I've taken the liberty of bringing you breakfast."

"Lily, you sweet angel. You really are perfect." Hermione finally smiled and sat up against the headboard.

"I know." Lily chuckled. "And I also wanted to give you this."

Taking the box from Lily's outstretched hands, Hermione opened her mouth to protest.

"It's just a little something. Not a big deal at all." Lily went ahead and tore the top off before Hermione could get to it. "Back home my grandmother used to put together little boxes for my sister and me whenever we were sick. So, this one's for you. I'm calling it your Moon Box."

Hermione's heart swelled as she watched Lily take out and explain each item in the box.

"I got you chocolate, because Remus always eats so much around the full moon. I don't know if it's a Remus-thing or a werewolf-thing, but thought what the hell, chocolate can't hurt." "Oh, and this is an eye mask with some herbs inside. If you hit it with a little warming spell, it's really soothing. You can use it on sore muscles too.

"I don't know how to knit, but my mum's pretty great at it. I asked her to make these for you. If you don't like the color, you can charm them however you want."

Hermione placed a hand on Lily to still the excited girl. "Thank you."

Lily calmed immediately and saw the tears brimming in Hermione's eyes. "Of course, Hermione."

* * *

**The Great Hall**

At dinner, Hermione and Remus both picked at the food on their plates. Although it was the first day, Remus looked as if he was ready to call it quits and hide away in a cave. Hermione, on the other hand, remained fairly put together. Her lack of appetite had disappeared with the rising anxiety over the topic she was about to bring up.

"So," she said, speaking for the first time that meal. "I'm going to be gone for a little bit tonight. Need to work out some tension."

Although she hadn't lifted her head from her plate, Sirius looked absolutely ecstatic. "Do you want me to go with you? We could spar like last time."

"No!" Hermione immediately looked up. "I mean, I appreciate it, but no. I've been remiss about this whole thing. I shouldn't have been so dependent; I shouldn't have relied on… other people for so long." Hermione didn't dare speak Regulus' name.

"There's nothing wrong with needing help, Hermione." Sirius said, looking dejected.

"I know," she smiled sadly. "It would make me feel better, I think, if I could do this alone. I really do appreciate the offer, Sirius. And, you know what, if tonight doesn't work out how I want, you can help me tomorrow."

Sirius brightened up a bit and his objection was dropped. He even waved her off when she left to retreat to the Room of Requirement.

Hermione counted her lucky stars that the boys didn't know about the room and that they didn't have the Map. Despite all the rotten luck she'd had, the universe was allowing her this time with Regulus.

The Slytherin in question was already in the room when Hermione arrived.

* * *

Regulus conjured a chair just in time to collapse into it. Hermione fell to the ground at her feet, grinning despite the ache already setting into her limbs. She leaned on Regulus' leg and let her eyes close. The pair silent as their breathing slowed and quieted.

"Well, that was especially…"

"Badass?"

"I was going to say insane."

"Eh, same thing." Hermione looked up at Regulus and smirked. "Are you okay?"

"Me? Yeah, all good. Nothing a few glamours can't cover up." Regulus took a deep breath and let it out, dropping his head back and closing his eyes.

"You know I appreciate you, right?" Hermione reached up and squeezed his calf.

"I know," said Regulus without moving. "Did they give you any trouble?"

"Nothing I couldn't handle." Hermione smirked to herself but the arrogance on her lips quickly slipped away. Regulus seemed to sense her change in demeanor as he leaned forward and shifted in his chair, reaching out to massage Hermione's shoulders. "This is going to catch up to us, won't it."

"Maybe. Maybe not."

Hermione tried not to think of Sirius' reaction if he ever found out she was still seeing Regulus. She knew that she had no real reason to stay away from Regulus – it wasn't like Sirius' anger was grounded in reason – but she knew the animosity between the brothers was real. She knew Regulus would never ask her to choose between himself and Sirius, no matter how difficult things became. He would never want to put her in a position in which she felt she had no choice. He would be tempted sure, but he would never ask.

Sirius, though. Hermione thought of the man she knew – the man whose chosen brother had been taken from him, the man betrayed by the greatest wizard alive, the man who spent twelve years drowning in his own personal hell only emerging to fall headfirst back into war. And when she thought of the boy she was getting to know, she saw a brave boy, alone but determined to follow the light. If this man, this boy found out, he would ask her to choose. And as much as she hated that, she couldn't fault him for it.

"You'll be back tomorrow?" Regulus' voice brought her back.

"Yes. You?"

"Of course." Regulus rose to his feet and helped Hermione up before grabbing his belongings and heading to the door. "Wouldn't miss it for the world, Granger."

"See you around, Black."

Hermione watched Regulus leave, the door dissolving back into the walls. The fire in her veins was down to an ember, and she felt her grasp on control strengthened. In these moments she saw the world with a strange clarity. At times it almost felt as if she truly understood the events and magic that had brought her back in time. The warm weight of the moonstone necklace strung around her throat offered a reminder of her anchor. She had long since given up trying to activate the stone. It seemed Dumbledore was correct in his assumption that the stone would carry her as it pleased.

As Hermione made her way to the prefects' bathroom to wash away the aftermath of her time with Regulus, she barely registered the slight tapping of shoes following her. Before she turned to face her follower, a voice spoke.

"Miss Granger, a word." Hermione breathed a sigh of relief as she gazed upon the twinkling eyes of Albus Dumbledore.

"Yes, Headmaster?"

"Tomorrow evening, Professor McGonagall will hold meetings with your fellow Gryffindor seventh years to discuss the path that begins after Hogwarts."

"Oh."

"Yes, quite." Something flickered in the headmaster's eyes that raised the hairs on the back of Hermione's neck. "If you wouldn't mind, Miss Granger, I think it would be best if you joined me in my office during this time."

"Okay," Hermione blinked. "Yes, Headmaster, I will be there."

"Splendid." Dumbledore smiled and walked away without another word. Hermione shook her head to clear her mind and continued on her way.

As she bathed she pondered what she would say to Dumbledore. In truth, she hadn't given much thought as to what she wanted to do after Hogwarts, even back in her own time. There always seemed to be something more important to think about, and of course, since she and the boys had gone on the run, the last thing Hermione had thought about was career possibilities. But she was in 1978 now, she was actually attending her seventh year and would be taking her NEWT exams soon. Depending on her scores, she had a wide possibility of choices. Of course, she would stay close to London, close to wherever the Order would be headquartered, but beyond those specifics she was open to anything. And maybe, perhaps, Dumbledore already had a plan for her.

Hermione's thoughts shifted to the upcoming exams, and she found herself repeating potion ingredients under her breath when she finally returned to the Gryffindor common room. She sat down next to Peter, who was shuffling through his collection of chocolate frog cards.

"Peter?" The boy beside her grunted in response so she continued. "Do you know what you want to do after graduation?"

"You mean like a party? Or going to a pub?"

"No, I meant career-wise."

"Oh." Peter shifted in his seat. "Er, I used to think I'd just work for my dad, but I dunno if that's going to happen."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I dunno if I'd be interested in all that."

"Boring work?" Hermione tried to remember if she had ever heard about Peter having a job.

"No, it's not that. I mean it's nothing exciting either." Peter shrugged. "No, it's more his customers. Don't think I'd like to put up with them."

Hermione was silent. Were these customers Death Eaters? Was this the beginning of the end? Hermione cursed herself for not finding out why Pettigrew had turned to Voldemort.

"What about you?" Peter was speaking again.

"What?"

"Do you know what you want to do?"

"Oh, no. Not really."

They didn't speak anymore, just sat together until Hermione excused herself for bed. It was strange, talking about the future as if it hadn't happened yet. And yet here she was, thinking about what she was going to do in the coming years as if she didn't already know that darkness lurked just around the corner, as if she had the capability to change fate.

Fate.

Hermione hated that word. Granted she hadn't always. When she was a little girl, she used to read stories about princesses and hope fate had such adventure in store for her. But no, Hermione had grown to hate the word almost as soon as she entered the wizarding world. She had cursed fate almost every day of her first term at Hogwarts. She cursed fate for leading her to Hogwarts but not giving her friends. She cursed fate for not giving her magical parents. She cursed fate for targeting Harry. No, as far as Hermione was concerned, there was no fate. Only chance. And dammit, Hermione was going to start taking control of life again.

* * *

**22 March 1978 **

**Dumbledore's Office**

"WHAT?!" Hermione's voice echoed around the room.

"I truly am sorry, my dear. Lemon drop?"

Hermione could only stare at the old man before her, fire ablaze in her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words would just not come.

"Miss Granger, I'm afraid you have no other option."

"So, what? I'm just supposed to go look for work in the muggle world? Is that it?"

"I'm sure there are still plenty of jobs to be had in our world."

"I'm not going to be a waitress!" Hermione was shouting again. Her inner wolf was starting to feed off the anger she felt. She needed to leave soon, needed to see Regulus.

"Miss Granger, do calm yourself." Twinkling-Eyed Dumbledore was gone. "You must realize the position you are in. A muggle-born witch-" Hermione scoffed. "-with no family, no history, no registration with the Ministry. You might recall that you aren't supposed to be here? In addition, you find yourself with an affliction very much looked down upon in society. Your options are going to be limited."

"What, so, beggars can't be choosers, is that what you're telling me?"

"Couldn't have said it better myself?" He had the audacity to smile. "Of course, you will have to remain close. It wouldn't be safe for you to go off gallivanting around the world." Those hairs on the back of Hermione's neck prickled again.

"Of course."

"Are you sure I can't tempt you to a lemon drop?" Hermione looked down upon the offered bowl with a sneer that rivaled Draco Malfoy at his worst.

"No, sir. Thank you, sir. I think I'll be off now." It was all she could do not to run screaming from the room.

* * *

Three hours later found Hermione and Regulus once again catching their breaths.

"Are you going to tell me what's bothering you?" Hermione shook her head, but Regulus pressed on. "Is it my brother?"

"No, for once it's not Sirius. Though I almost wish it was." Hermione held up her fists again, ready for another round. Regulus didn't move, just looked at her pointedly.

"You know you can tell me, right? I mean who am I going to tell?" Hermione deflated somewhat but maintained her defensive position.

"No, I know. It's just—it has to do with my past."

"Oh."

"Yeah." Hermione dropped her hands.

"And you don't want to talk about it?"

"No, I-I can't. Please don't think I'm keeping something from you, Regulus. I just really can't talk about it."

"I understand." Regulus picked his hands up. Hermione did, too.

"I hope you do." She bounced on her toes before launching toward Regulus.

They fought in silence.

"Will you be okay?"

"I hope so."

* * *

**A/N:** Please review! Let me know what you think!


	41. Chapter 41

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **Sorry for being gone so long. Been dealing with personal stuff, but no matter, I have not forgotten PM (and all you lovely readers). Thank you for your kind reviews and thank you to my token Hufflepuff Mack.

**A/N: (5/8/17) **Cheers to the guest reviewer who caught my mistake on the dates. Now fixed! Thanks for your careful eye!

* * *

**Chapter 41: The Calm Before**

**23 March 1978**

**The Great Hall**

The Gryffindor table was all abuzz at breakfast as the seventh years shared the results of their career talks with McGonagall. The younger Gryffindors listened excitedly as their peers passionately announced their plans for the future. It seemed everyone was in high spirits except for Hogwarts' two resident werewolves.

Remus and Hermione sat off the side, trying to avoid anyone who would ask what they planned to do after leaving Hogwarts. They kept their heads down and focused on their breakfast, every now and then glancing at each other. When the laughter got to be too much, Remus nudged Hermione's plate with his fork. After nodding toward the exit, Hermione and Remus slipped away from the crowds.

As they walked away, Hermione slipped her hand into Remus' and squeezed lightly. The two continued in silence until they stepped out into the courtyard. Hermione pulled Remus to lead him to sit along a wall.

"Dreadful day, isn't it?" Hermione muttered. She looked up at the shining sun and cloudless sky.

"Terrible." Remus muttered and leaned into Hermione's shoulder.

"So let's see," Hermione began, pointing to herself. "Muggleborn werewolf with no family and no money." Remus nodded and pointed at himself.

"Half-blood werewolf with no connections." He smirked sadly. "We could always just live with my parents."

"Remus, I don't think your parents would appreciate having to take care of two grown werewolves." She looked up to see a stunned expression on Remus' face. "What?"

"Nothing," he said as he shook his head. "I just- You took offence to living with my parents."

"Oh." Hermione looked worried. "I didn't mean—I mean, I adore your parents. You must know that."

"No, no, no," Remus started. "I said that wrong. What I meant was that you didn't take offence to us living together."

Hermione blushed and knocked Remus with her shoulder. "Of course, we'll live together. Can't separate pack, can we?"

The pair smiled at each other before falling into a comfortable silence. After a while Remus grabbed one of Hermione's hands and started to rub his thumb over her skin. Despite the slight frown that marred her face, Hermione's soul lifted from Remus' touch. She felt as if her bones were drawing strength from the closeness. She shut her eyes, savoring the feeling.

"Oi!" A voice emerged from the other side of the courtyard. "What are you two sulking about now?"

Hermione couldn't help but smile as Sirius bounded up to them. Remus scowled at his friend and shook his head.

"Shove off, Padfoot. Let us sulk in peace."

"Bloody hell, you really are depressing." Sirius nudged Remus and Hermione apart to sit down between them. "I can't tell if you're serious or just taking the piss."

"What are you on about?"

"Well, you two are obviously coming to live with me after school, so I don't know why you're still being all moody." Sirius gasped suddenly and put his hand over his heart. "Unless... Oh, Remus! Say it isn't so! Do you not want to live with me anymore? You break my heart, you really do."

"Are you serious?" Hermione whispered.

"Don't." Remus interrupted before Sirius could make a joke. Sirius rolled his eyes and patted Hermione on the leg.

"Of course, I'm serious. I figured between the three of us, we could figure out how to get some of my inheritance out from under Walburga's grubby paws. Find a place in London or something. Then, I figured we'd all just bum around being the degenerates we are."

Remus raised an eyebrow and Sirius held up his hands.

"Alright fine, doesn't have to be London. We can go live in the woods somewhere so you can fully embrace your wild side, Moony." Remus growled lowly. "Ah, there we go!"

The ringing of the bells from the clock tower shattered the moment as students began strolling through the courtyard on their way to classes. Hermione jumped off the wall and grabbed her bag before looking at the boys.

"Thank you, Sirius." Sirius shook his head, but smiled nonetheless.

"Think nothing of it, Pup. I told you, anything you need."

Hermione smiled, nodded, and left the boys to walk to her first class. Remus turned to look at Sirius as he watched Hermione leave. He chuckled under his breath.

"I should've known."

"Piss off, Moony." Sirius turned back to Remus when Hermione completely disappeared from sight. "I was going to offer anyway. Not my fault it happens to fit my new plan."

"Oh you have a plan, do you?" Remus hopped off the wall and started to herd Sirius back into the castle.

"Yes, it's a simple three steps." He raised a hand and counted off on his fingers. "Make her live with me. Make her see me as someone she could be with. Make her fall in love with me."

"Seems like she doesn't have a choice in this."

"Nope. It's inevitable, Moony. She just can't see it yet." Sirius' wide grin fell and his face shifted as they stepped into the shadows of the castle. "You ready for tomorrow?"

"Honestly? No. Hermione doesn't seem worried at all, but after last month… I didn't like seeing her like that. No, not at all." Remus' eyes clouded over as he got lost in his memories. Hermione's bruised form on the hospital bed swam in front of his eyes before he blinked, trying to shoo away the image.

"I know. I keep wondering if she's really okay or if she's just trying to hide it from us."

"She does know though, right? I mean she must know we care for her."

"I hope she does, Moony. I hope she does."

* * *

**27 March 1978**

**Hogwarts Kitchens**

The third day of post-moon recovery fell on the same day as James Potter's 18th birthday. The Marauders plus Hermione and Lily found themselves sneaking down to the kitchens at the end of the day. Hermione and the other boys had huge smiles plastered on their faces as they watched James escort Lily in front of them.

"Which rule is this?" Hermione whispered to Sirius beside her.

"Rule 48: Each Marauder can show the kitchens to one, and only one, non-Marauder." Sirius repeated, speaking slowly to get each word right.

"Can you do that with all of them?" Hermione asked, her curiosity piqued. "How many are there? Did you all write them down?"

"Over a hundred and fifty, I think." Sirius chuckled. "We had them written down at some point, but it just seemed easier to remember them all. You can test me. I know you want to."

Hermione grinned. "Five." Remus started laughing beside them. Hermione glanced at him before looking back to Sirius. A slight pink tinge had started to creep across the tips of his ears.

"Rule five: Mister Padfoot cannot exceed more than 10 name puns in a day. If the aforementioned limit is ignored, punishment may be administered upon agreement of at least two of the remaining Marauders."

Hermione's laughter echoed through the corridor as it burst forth from her chest. She clapped a hand over her mouth to no avail. "Fifty-two." Sirius smirked.

"Rule 52: A Marauder's official name cannot be changed unless unanimously agreed upon."

"Peter?" Hermione smirked as well after Sirius nodded, confirming her suspicions. "Okay, how about 15?"

"Rule 15: A Marauder's family is defined by choice not by blood."

"I like that one." Hermione said as she wrapped an arm around the boys at her sides. Remus and Sirius hugged her back as they stopped outside the portrait to the kitchens. Lily was watching in awe as James tickled the pear and the painting moved to reveal the room within. She clapped excitedly and followed her boyfriend inside with the rest of the group following closely behind.

"Oh, Hermione, look!" James spoke a few words to a house elf and suddenly the kitchens was alive with activity. House elves flitted about, preparing a table for a true birthday celebration. "Oh, this is amazing!"

The group shuffled to take their seats at the table, careful not to trip over the elves underfoot. Hermione jumped in her seat as an elf suddenly tugged her arm. Turning, Hermione looked wide-eyed at Lido.

"Master Remus' Special Friend can't sit heres!" The elf bounced excitedly from foot to foot. Hermione looked from Peter, who was sitting beside her, to Remus across the table. "Master Remus' Special Friend must sits with Master Remus."

Hermione opened her mouth to object but quickly closed it when she noticed how worked up the elf was becoming. She smiled at Lido and wordlessly moved to sit beside Remus. When the activity around the area has cleared, Hermione looked up to see the three on the other side of the table wearing identical smirks.

"Special Friend?" Lily giggled.

"Oh, hush!" Hermione laughed back. "She only calls me that because Remus brought me here the first time."

"You've been down here before? And you didn't tell me?"

"I couldn't!" Hermione continued to laugh at Lily's false shock. "Honestly! It's a rule."

"A rule?"

"Maraurer roo." Peter spoke up with a mouth full of cake. Lily looked confused. He swallowed. "Marauder rule."

"Oh here, watch this." Hermione pushed lightly on Remus' chest to make his lean back so she could see Sirius. "Twelve."

Sirius opened his mouth before closing it tightly. He glanced at the other Marauders who in turn all looked at James. James smirked and nodded.

"Rule 12: Lily Evans is off-limits." Sirius said, wincing a bit. Hermione looked at the shock on Lily's face.

"Okay, I did not know that was a rule." She watched as Lily blinked before her face started to heat up.

"Off-limits?!" She turned on James. "Off-limits?! To who? Everyone? The four of you?"

"Well not to me, obviously." James' smirk never fell. Lily hit his arm. "Oh honestly Lily, that one was written years ago, I swear. I've since learned that there's no way I could ever determine anything about you."

Lily snorted slightly at James' attempt at flattery, but accepted it nonetheless and leaned into his side. James smiled in triumph and wrapped an arm around her. He buried his face in her hair and whispered in her ear. Lily's smile grew and she turned to kiss him. Before James could fully participate, Sirius threw part of his piece of cake at him.

"Oi! No snogging at the table! You've innocent eyes at the table."

James scooped up some icing on his finger and leaned across the table to wipe it on Sirius' nose. "Not my fault you haven't been with a bird in months."

Before the other Marauders could laugh, Sirius started a full on assault. Soon the kitchens were filled with flying cake as the group of friends quickly built hasty defenses of benches and stacked plates. Laughter seeped outside the portrait and wafted far down the corridor. Even along the staircases, laughter lingered like twinkling stars.

* * *

**A/N: **Please review if you see fit! I really appreciate it. I know this was a bit of a fluffy chapter but big things are coming! I promise!


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter 42: The Passenger**

**1 April 1978**

**The Great Hall**

Hermione stared at the Daily Prophet in her lap. The date at the top glared back at her as if mocking her good mood. As her smile slipped from her face, Hermione ran a thumb over the small black letters. _1 April 1978_. She turned the paper over and thumbed through the back pages until she found what she was looking for.

The birth announcement had always been a section Hermione had explicitly ignored. As a muggleborn, she had never known any of the couples mentioned growing up. Once she had arrived in the 1977, however, Hermione had found herself reading the section religiously, halfway hoping and halfway fearing she would find a familiar name. As she scanned down the page, she let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding when she found the names she was looking for.

**_"_****_Proud parents Molly and Arthur Weasley are happy to announce the birth of their sons Frederick Gideon and George Fabian. The twins were born at 4:20 a.m. on Saturday, April 1, 1978 at St. Mungos. Fred and George are the fourth and fifth sons of the family."_**

The noise of the Great Hall faded away as she continued to stare at the words before her. Memories of the twins swam through her mind. Hermione had never been particularly close with either of the brothers but had always considered them part of her extended family. A wave crashed over Hermione as she was suddenly hit with an intense feeling of being untethered. The hopeless feelings that had plagued her mind during the weeks immediately following her arrival in the past began drowning out all other thoughts.

She wasn't supposed to be here. She was a mistake. She was alone. She was stuck. She couldn't change anything. Harry was never going to speak to her again. Sirius and Remus were going to hate her when she got back. _If_ she got back. She could be stuck in this time forever. She would never get to see _her_ boys again. She would be forced to watch them grow up. And she would be alone.

"Pup! Hey Pup!" Sirius' voice shattered the walls that had been closing in around her. "You in?"

"Sorry, what?" Hermione blinked at Sirius. All four of the Marauders were staring at her with excitement swimming in their eyes. Their broad smiles made them look like first years. Hermione's lips twitched.

"The plan? The prank?" Sirius threw his arms in the air. "Our legacy!"

"It's our annual prank for April Fool's Day," Remus explained as he rolled his eyes. "We've got it all planned out. Do you want to join in? I can assure you it won't lead to detention. Well, probably."

Hermione forced herself to smile at the boys before her, but her mind was franticly searching for an excuse. A small part of her was desperate for a good laugh and a day of adventures with the Marauders, but her whole body seemed to be slowly giving up. All Hermione really wanted to do was crawl back to the Common Room and hide behind the curtains to her bed.

Salvation came in the form of a red-headed witch.

"Oh no you don't!" Lily's voice preceded her as she slipped into the seat beside Hermione. "Hermione and I have plans to study today, so you won't be stealing her."

Hermione looked at Lily with confusion in her eyes. She was about to speak when she felt a sharp kick to her shin. Her eyes flashed at Lily, but the girl just smiled wider.

"Right," Hermione said, not entirely sure what she was agreeing to. "We made plans. To study." She turned back to Sirius. "Sorry."

"S'alright, Pup." Sweet Merlin, Sirius' smile was never-ending. Hermione fought against her urge to cringe. "You'll just have to wait and see what we've got planned like everyone else."

Hermione remained quiet for the rest of breakfast. Her hand never released the copy of the _Daily Prophet_ clenched in her fist.

* * *

For the rest of the morning, Hermione found herself in the warm presence of Lily Evans. Lily dragged Hermione outside to sit on the banks of the Great Lake. Lily had brought books with them in case the boys wandered over, but they were soon forgotten. Hermione had sat in silence while Lily spoke in her soft voice. Lily spoke about the weather and the food at breakfast. She spoke about how James had misbuttoned his shirt again and how she didn't understand how that boy ever managed to properly dress himself. She continued to speak as Hermione looked out onto the calm water and played with the edges of that morning's paper. She only grew silent when the first tear fell from Hermione's eyes.

"When you're ready, Hermione," said Lily. Hermione squeezed her eyes shut at the motherly tone.

"My chest hurts." She reached a hand up to clench the fabric of her shirt, pressing tight against her chest. "It hurts all the time."

"I'm here, Hermione. You don't have to talk if you don't want to, but I'm here." At Lily's words, Hermione struck out her hand to blindly search for Lily's. Once the two connected, Hermione squeezed as hard as she could. "You've lost someone." It wasn't a question, but the way Lily said it made Hermione open her eyes.

"Have you?" Hermione blinked, trying to remember the stories she had heard about Lily Evans.

"My dad." Lily sighed and squeezed Hermione's hand. "It happened a couple years ago."

"I'm so sorry, Lily. I had no idea."

"Not many people do. And it's okay. He was sick for a while, so I knew it was coming. It wasn't easy. I mean, it was the worst day of my life, but I least I was prepared, I guess."

Silence fell over the two girls.

"They're all gone."

Lily picked up her head to look at Hermione. She didn't speak but her eyes were wide.

Hermione unfolded the Daily Prophet and turned to the page with the photo of the Weasley twins. The twins were smiling and flailing their arms. They wiggled and squirmed until they joined hands. Hermione watched the picture play over twice before she spoke again.

"This is Fred and George," said Hermione, angling the paper so Lily could read the birth announcement. "They give the Marauders a run for their money. They don't finish Hogwarts, but they start their own joke shop that is unsurprisingly successful."

Hermione couldn't stop the flow of words. For a moment she considered the possible ramifications of speaking of the future. Her brain was screaming at her to shut her mouth, but her heart and soul begged for someone to understand.

"Their younger brother Ron is one of my best friends. He's absolutely brilliant, but he hates to study. I had a crush on him for years, but now that I think about it, I may have outgrown that."

"Hermione, what are you talking about?" Lily's voice shook. "You're not making any sense. These are babies. How can you know they don't finish Hogwarts."

Hermione looked Lily dead in the eye.

"I was born September 19, 1979."

"'79, what – but it's 1978. Hermione, that's not possible." Lily shook her head.

"Not possible, huh?" Hermione laughed dryly. "Just like magic isn't possible? Flying brooms? Talking hats? Werewolves?"

"But what you're talking about…" Hermione saw the light click on behind Lily's eyes. "You're not saying – Time travel is real?" Hermione simply nodded. "And you're – Where did you come from?"

"Don't you mean when?"

* * *

"Okay, I think I get it now." Lily took a deep breath. "You were born in 1979 and went to Hogwarts where your best friends were Ron and Harry. In 1997, Remus gave you a magical necklace that sent you back to 1977." Hermione nodded. "This is crazy."

"I know, believe me. Some days I still wake up thinking I'm in my own time." Hermione bit her lip.

"Oh, no, not that. I mean the time travel part is strange and unexpected, but—I have a son!" Lily beamed and Hermione's heart broke.

"Yes." She managed a smile. "Yes, you do."

Lily made a noise of contentment and leaned back on her arms. She turned her face to the sun and closed her eyes.

"You're not going to ask any questions? About him? About the future?" Hermione raised an eyebrow at Lily. The redhead opened her eyes and looked at Hermione.

"Am I allowed to do that?" She looked confused. "I just assumed you couldn't tell me."

"I really shouldn't." Hermione shrugged. "I just expected when I told someone – if I told someone – they would hound me with questions."

"Wait. You haven't told anyone?" Lily sat up and turned to face Hermione as she shook her head.

"Professor Dumbledore knows. And you know, now."

"Wow."

"I know."

"So the boys don't know? Well, apparently not. But goodness, could you imagine? I'd expect they wouldn't ever let you breathe with all their questions." She stopped speaking when she saw Hermione's sad smile. "Thank you for trusting me, Hermione."

"No, Lily, thank _you_. You truly don't know what this means to me. I've had this weight on me for so long." Hermione choked on a sob. "It feels like I can finally breathe."

Lily leaned over and the two girls hugged. The Daily Prophet got caught between them. When Lily pulled away, she took it in her hands.

"And when you said they're all gone?"

"I don't know how to get back to them." Hermione pulled the moonstone necklace out from where it fell under her shirt. "Dumbledore seems to think it's all connected to this necklace, but I've never heard of such a thing. But I wear it every day, just in case it decides to go home."

"Oh, Hermione." Lily pulled her into another hug. Somewhere in the back of Hermione's mind, she realized that this was probably the most she'd ever been hugged by a girl her own age.

* * *

Dinner was well under way by the time Hermione and Lily made their way back to the castle. The seriousness of Hermione's confession and their subsequent conversations did not prepare them for the state of the Great Hall. It seemed the Marauders had in fact had quite the April Fools' Day plan.

Everyone was shouting. Food and plates was exploding off the tables. Spells were flying from the professors as they stood at the front of the hall. And above it all was the laughter of the Marauders.

Hermione and Lily pushed their way through the crowd to reach the boys.

"What in the name of Merlin is going on?" Hermione asked. The boys turned to give her identical smirks.

"Nifflers." Peter said as he tried to contain his giggles. "We let loose nifflers."

"You let loose nifflers? How many?" Lily's eyebrows had reached new heights.

"Four," said Sirius. "We even named them to keep track." He winked at Hermione.

Hermione's face broke into a grin and she turned back to look to the professors table. Five cages sat on the floor at Dumbledore's feet. Four of them were filled with unhappy little creatures playing with small piles of treasure. As they moved about their cages, Hermione saw flashed of red paint. It would appear the Marauders had written the names of the nifflers' backs.

"1" "2" "4" "5"

"Wait a second…" Looking around the room, Hermione realized the flying plates and food were a result of students searching for the elusive niffler, panicking when they touched one another, and then overturning their immediate area. Hermione looked back at Sirius.

"Yeah, they found them all a couple hours ago," Sirius shrugged, his face somehow the picture of innocence. "But for some reason they're convinced there's another one out there."

* * *

**A/N: **I'm here, not leaving anytime soon. Sorry I was gone for so long (finishing college), but I'm back. Thank you for sticking with me. Let me know what you think! I love hearing from you all.


	43. Chapter 43

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **Been brainstorming with my resident Gryffindor friend on some ideas for what's upcoming in the story. It's all looking very exciting, and I hope you guys will like it. Please review and let me know what you think! (Also I think Chapter 42 may have gone out when the notifications weren't working, so make sure you read that!)

* * *

**Chapter 43: Auribus Teneo Lupum**

**April 1978**

April drags on slowly, more slowly than anyone can manage. Hermione almost finds herself looking forward to the next full moon as it marks the closing of the month. The days blend together before anyone notices a pattern. First comes the calm, the fleeting security of innocence. Then a sudden onset of storms that leaves the whole castle restless. Finally, a Daily Prophet article depicting horrors the likes of which no Hogwarts student has seen before, no Hogwarts student that is besides Hermione. The shadow of destruction would hang over the Great Hall until one day it just disappeared, replaced by a fragile calmness. And thus the pattern started anew.

Despite the increasing weight of helplessness Hermione felt, her prevailing emotion was anger. But as much as she hated Voldemort and his followers for the destruction they caused and would cause in the future, she was angriest with herself.

She lamented the fact that she gave away her greatest secret to Lily. Harry's mother had proved herself to be quite the confidante, but Hermione couldn't help but regret telling Lily she came from the future. It wasn't that Lily had succumbed to curiosity; she had actually restrained herself in such a manner that Hermione knew for all the comparisons that had been made between herself and the redhead, Lily possessed a greater capacity for patience. No, Hermione hated the fact that after every article reporting new attacks, Lily would glance her way with _pity_ in her eyes.

_Pity_. Hermione hated the look of pity so much that she stopped looking Lily in her eyes almost altogether. Looking into the eyes of her best friend only served as a reminder of what she had lost and what she was failing to save. She knew the laws of time travel better than most, and she knew that attempting to change anything could create a paradox so severe it could shatter life as she knew it.

And yet… with every article, Hermione would steal a glance at the Headmaster, wondering if this was the day he would demand all her secrets.

* * *

**18 April 1978**

**The Room of Requirement**

The next article had Hermione so riled up, she chanced being seen with Regulus in public. Dancing on her toes, she moved through the library like a lioness stalking her prey. Once the snake was in sight, she pounced.

"I need you." Hermione winced at the desperation in her voice. Regulus looked first at her hand closed tightly around his arm and then her eyes. He immediately gathered his things together.

"Let's go."

The walk to the Room of Requirement was silent. Hermione stared at the ground as she let her feet guide her on the familiar trek. She tried to clear her mind and keep herself calm. Regulus on the other hand kept darting his eyes about, craning his neck to see around corners, looking for anyone who shouldn't see them together.

Once safely within the walls of the Room, Regulus turned to Hermione.

"Not that I'm not glad to see you," he started. "Because I am, always, but what's going on?"

"Did you see the article in the Daily Prophet this morning?" Hermione asked, already removing her layers in preparation for a session.

"The article?" Regulus' brow furrowed before recognition dawned in his eyes. "Did you know them?"

"No, of course not." Hermione shook her head as she leaned against the wall to remove her shoes. "I just—ugh! I feel so helpless!"

Regulus stared in shock as Hermione's fist connected with the stone wall. Hermione panted for a bit, staring at the blood blooming on her knuckles. She closed her eyes and fell down against the wall. Regulus moved silently to sit beside her on the floor. He held out his hand for hers, but she looked away.

"Give me your hand," he demanded though his voice was soft. Hermione acquiesced and winced as Regulus inspected her hand. "You can cry, you know. I know it hurts."

"I'm tired of crying," she said despite the tear that escaped down her cheek.

"And why have you been crying?" Regulus flinched at the anguished gasp Hermione let out as he waved his wand, healing her hand.

"It's that article." They were both staring at her hand now and the blood slowly drying on her skin.

"The article?"

"No, not just the article. It's the attacks, the mounting panic." Hermione took a deep breath before continuing. "It's like—it's like I'm standing on the bow of a ship. I can see the storm up ahead, but there's nothing I can do to avoid it. There's no way around; I have to go through."

"You could turn around." Regulus' voice was so soft Hermione barely heard his words.

"I don't think that's ever been an option for me. I've been in this fight too long I wouldn't even know how."

Silence fell over them again, both stuck inside their own heads.

Hermione fell through her memories back to her first year at Hogwarts. It seemed her involvement in the fight against Voldemort has been almost predetermined. Meeting the boys, the troll, the third-floor corridor, the obstacles that seemed almost perfectly suited to their strengths – how was she not supposed to fight alongside Harry? And now? What was she to do now? Keep fighting? Remain on the sidelines and let the past unravel by itself?

Regulus sat beside her; a shadow descended on his mind. He wasn't stupid. He knew what the recent attacks meant, who was behind them. He heard the whispers of the seventh year Slytherins as they prepared to leave Hogwarts for the last time. He knew what was happening, and as he glanced at Hermione, he knew that he knew more than her. He thought back to the day he took the mark, how proud he felt. Then he thought back to the first meeting he sat through, the words thrown around, the insane ideology repeated by grown-ups Regulus had once respected, the muggle-born wizard tortured before his eyes. How was he not supposed to question everything? And now? Now that he knew he didn't truly believe, what was he to do? Start fighting? Remain in the shadows and not get killed?

"Come on," Hermione got up and extended a hand to Regulus. The room around them shifted until it resembled once more the library at Grimmauld Place.

"I thought we were going to fight?" Regulus questioned although he followed Hermione automatically.

"Maybe we can forget about fighting for one day." She sat Regulus in his usual chair and conjured parchment and a quill for him. She browsed the library shelves for just a moment before selecting a book and settling into her own chair. She looked back at Regulus, a bit of sadness in her eyes. "Maybe we can just pretend for today, that we have nothing to worry about, that we're just like all the other students out there."

Regulus nodded and Hermione smiled. She opened her book and let the familiar words of _The Tales of Beedle the Bard_ distract her from her own thoughts. Regulus stared at the witch in front of him before leaning over, the parchment resting on his knees. He sketched Hermione in her burgundy chair, careful to focus on the crease in her forehead that never quite disappeared and the way her fingers hesitated over the page corners. And if Regulus noticed her chair seemed almost twenty years older than the version that currently sat in the library of 12 Grimmauld Place, he never said so.

* * *

**22 April 1978**

**Gryffindor Common Room**

Four days later, Remus was spread out on the couch in front of the fire when Hermione returned from sparring with Regulus. The difference between the two werewolves on the day before the full moon was astonishing. Remus looked positively ill. His face was pallid, and heavy bags fell under his eyes. His hair hung loose and limp in his face as his eyes slid in and out of focus. Hermione, on the other hand, was fizzing with magic and energy. Her hair fell out and around her head like a lion's mane, blue sparks popping off every now and then. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her hands twitched at her sides.

The two werewolves met eyes across the empty common room and shared a look of mutual suffering. Hermione made her way over to Remus as he shifted his body to lay sideways against the back of the couch. Hermione sat down and pulled her legs up, settling into Remus' arms. For a moment they were able to find comfort in each other's presence. Hermione closed her eyes as Remus' scent washed over her, bringing with it a comfortably overwhelming sense of security.

"Something terrible has happened," Remus whispered in her ear. Hermione panicked for a moment; her heart rate sped up.

"What's wrong?"

"I did something bad." From Remus' dopey tone of voice, Hermione realized nothing life threatening was occurring and let herself sink further into the couch.

"Is this going to require me getting up?" She could feel Remus smiling into her hair. She groaned. "What did you do?"

"I ate all the chocolate."

Silence.

"All of it?"

"All of it."

"Before they all left or after?"

"After."

Hermione rolled over to face Remus, clinging a bit to his arms so she didn't fall onto the floor. She gave the werewolf as stern a look as she could muster before succumbing to his surprisingly successful puppy dog eyes.

"So you need someone to go to Hogsmeade and get you more." It wasn't a question. "Even though all the carriages have left by now, and that _someone_will have to walk the entire way."

Remus just wrapped his arms around Hermione and pulled her as close as he could given his weak state. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and chuckled into her skin.

"You know I love you, right?"

"Yeah, yeah," Hermione grumbled but smiled at Remus with twinkling eyes. "If I die from this little excursion, I'm coming back as a ghost to haunt you."

Remus pulled out a handful of galleons from his pocket and shoved them in Hermione's hand before she could protest. He motioned his head toward the door, and she gave him one last smile and a shake of her head before ambling away. As she climbed through the portrait door, she heard Remus' sleepy chuckling.

"Werewolf ghost."

* * *

**Hogsmeade**

The walk to Hogsmeade was quicker than Hermione anticipated, but nonetheless exhausting. While Hermione was used to having an overflow of pent up energy leading up to the full moon, this close to the full moon was usually better spent in bed. She looked up at the sky, thinking she could feel the moon tugging away her energy from its hiding place below the horizon. Brushing her hair out of her face, she scowled and pushed open the door to the noise of Honeydukes.

Now somewhat adept at controlling her heightened senses, Hermione tried, to little success, to block out the high volume of the candy store. She made her way over to the chocolate section, smiled at the sale sign, and loaded her arms with a variety of treats for Remus. The checkout line moved slowly and the cashier took his time calculating the precise cost of each and every item. Hermione finally paid, pocketed the change, and shoved her way through the masses out of the shop.

Once outside Honeydukes, Hermione rested against the side of the building, catching her breath. She closed her eyes and cursed Remus. Opening her eyes, Hermione looked directly at Tomes and Scrolls. She smiled and pushed off the wall.

Despite feeling as though each step was bringing her closer to death, Hermione couldn't fight the smile that slid across her face the moment she stepped into the quiet shop. She closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of the bookstore, feeling as though being there healed her just a little bit. She walked down the aisles aimlessly, running her fingers over the books at her sides. It seemed for the moment, she was the only soul there.

The deeper into the store Hermione went, the quieter everything became. So engrossed was she in the calming atmosphere of the bookstore, she didn't notice the young man who had stepped into her aisle. He looked down at his shirt and straightened the name tag on his chest before glancing back up at Hermione. He watched as she completely lost herself among the leather bound treasures, taking strength from the pages she held so dear. After a few moments, the store clerk gingerly walked away, but not before stealing another glance at Hermione.

She stayed as long as she could among the books, but she knew she needed to return to Hogwarts before she passed out in the middle of Hogsmeade. She moved reluctantly to the door, not yet ready to face the liveliness of the street outside. She rested her hand on the door handle.

"Leaving so soon?"

Hermione looked behind her. The young store clerk shifted from foot to foot balancing a stack of leather bound books. His sleeves were rolled back, and the muscles in his arms twitched.

"Sorry?" Hermione blinked, as the cloud of comfort began to dissipate. She noticed now that faint music was playing within the store.

"I said are you leaving so soon?" He set down the books and adjusted his suspenders. "It just looked like you were enjoying browsing."

"Oh." Hermione smiled. "I just needed a moment, but no books for me today, I'm afraid."

"Are you sure?" He raised an eyebrow and smiled playfully. It was Hermione's turn to blush.

"Yes, unfortunately." She raised the bag of Honeydukes chocolate. "I've got to get back."

"Of course." He nodded, but his smile remained. She turned quickly and opened the door, but just as quickly closed it again. She looked back at him over her shoulder.

"I'll be back though." His smile grew, and Hermione noticed a dimple appear on his right cheek.

"Good."

Hermione opened her mouth to ask his name when all of a sudden the door behind her flew open.

"Hermione! What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be resting?"

Hermione looked to see the concerned face of Lily Evans. She smiled sheepishly at Lily before letting the girl lead her through the door. As Hermione crossed the threshold, Lily looked into the store.

"Oh, hello Ben." The surprise in her voice held cheerful notes. "I didn't know you worked here."

"Just started actually."

"Ah. Well, see you around then." The door chimed softly as the girls left, Lily taking the heavy bag from Hermione.

"Thanks." Hermione gratefully passed over the chocolate.

"What are you doing here anyway? I figured you would be in bed right now."

"So did I, but Remus ate all his chocolate already." She shrugged as if it were the simplest explanation. "I don't get it, but the chocolate really helps him. And between the two of us, I'm the only one who can stand upright right now, so here I am."

"I swear," Lily huffed. "If that boy wasn't a you-know-what, he would be the size of a house."

Hermione laughed and leaned on Lily as they walked the rest of the way to the carriages. Once inside, Hermione couldn't help but let her head drop to Lily's shoulder and her eyes fall shut.

* * *

**24 April 1978**

**The Shrieking Shack**

Hermione groaned as her eyes adjusted to the light of day. She pulled the scratchy blanket that covered her up over her head with her right arm and yelped when it exposed her feet to the cold air.

"Ah, careful there, Pup," a soothing voice called out next to her. Hermione let her head fall back down to the floor as Sirius knelt down beside her.

"Damage report?" Hermione asked, at the same time trying to catalogue the various pains and aches she felt.

"Nothing too bad this time," Sirius said. Hermione looked down to realize he was dabbing at her left arm. Hermione twitched as the faint burn of firewhisky invaded her nostrils. They caught each other's' eyes. "Moony got your arm. It'll scar, but you gave him one on his leg so I'd call it even."

"5-Star medical service as always," Hermione mused, turning over onto her side. She winced as her weight shifted onto her left side, but the pain subsided to a dim throb.

"Firewhisky and a towel, what more do you need?" He joked, holding each item up. Hermione rolled her eyes, but smiled nonetheless. He finished cleaning the scratch on her arm and sat back, looking at her. Hermione shifted to sit up, careful to hold the blanket against her body. Sirius looked away briefly as she settled against the wall of the shack.

"Do we have to go back?" She whispered. Sirius moved to sit beside her.

"We could just stay here." He prodded her forward gently so he could lay his arm across her shoulders and pull her in tightly. Hermione rested her cheek against his chest.

"Skip classes and everything?"

"Sure, why not?" Sirius started tracing the lines of Hermione's upturned hand. "We don't _have_ to leave."

"Mmmm," Hermione hummed in reply. Her eyes closed once more as she concentrated on the steady beat of Sirius' heart.

"All right, everybody! Time to go!" Both Sirius and Hermione groaned as James' voice carried up from the bottom floor. Sirius cursed his friend under his breath.

"And the daydream is shattered," Hermione mumbled. "Shirt?"

Sirius dug around the room for the enormous t-shirt Hermione wore pre- and post-moon. He threw it to her outstretched hands and left the room. Hermione slipped the shirt over her head and coughed, letting Sirius know she was decent once more. When the Animagus reentered the room, he immediately went to her side to help her stand. The two moved together slowly to descend the stairs and meet up with the rest of the pack.

"Peter just left," James said as Hermione and Sirius reached the bottom stair. "We'll give him a second to still the tree, and then we'll go."

Hermione nodded and looked over at Remus. His eyes smiled at her before he looked pointedly at his leg. He turned his leg so the newest scratch would be visible. Hermione's lip twitched as she saw it was still bleeding a bit. She looked back at Remus and held out her arm for him to see his own work. Remus' lip twitched as well. He removed himself from James' arm and limped over to Hermione. The two melted together in mutual support, both leaning on each other to give and take.

"Come on, Pup," Remus said, turning his face into her hair and smiling. "Let's go see Madame Trapner. These guys need to get to class."

Sirius and James scoffed behind them. Hermione could hear James following them and listened for Sirius' footsteps. She chuckled as she heard him shuffle his feet and groan before following.

"I hate Mondays."


	44. Chapter 44

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **Apologies for the wait! I moved! I started my job! Big things, big things! But should be back on track to regularly update now! *fingers crossed* I know this is short, but more is coming soon. Promise.

* * *

**Chapter 44: The Oncoming Storm**

* * *

_Darkness. There was a slight chill. It seemed the stars didn't shine quite so bright here despite the open air. Layers of black fell like blankets across the night sky. Six crows flew to the south. A streetlight kept its sentry pose without its light. Four hooded figures moved briskly down the sidewalk, their robes long and their limbs tense. Moving all together, they seemed to float._

* * *

**12 May 1978**

**The Great Hall**

The day started like any other in that Hermione expected nothing unusual or particularly strange to occur. It was something she had come to treasure about the past. Nothing surprised her anymore. In 1978, there weren't any medieval monsters or polyjuiced professors lurking around the corner. Sure there were the Death Eater attacks, but that was nothing new to Hermione. Even the full moons were beginning to fade into normalcy.

Life was, as it tends to do before periods of change, settling into a comfortable silence.

The day had passed without incident, and as Hermione sat down for dinner, she smiled into her pumpkin juice.

"Oi, what's with the smile, Pup?" Hermione looked up and frowned at the icy tone coming from Sirius' lips.

"Oh," Hermione shrugged. "I hadn't realized I was doing it."

Sirius only grunted in response. Hermione looked to Remus for answers, but the werewolf just shook his head. The other Marauders were talking quietly, clearly giving Sirius his space.

"Okay, what's going on?"

"What?"

"What's going on with you?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"Oh come on, Sirius, there's clearly something up. You can either tell me now, or I'll bother you until you do."

Sirius gave it some thought. "It's nothing." Hermione fixed him with a glare, but the Animagus got up from his seat and stalked out of the Great Hall without looking back.

Hermione turned back to Remus. He sighed, but answered.

"It's just—It's Regulus' birthday."

Hermione's mind ticked through several thoughts at once. She was honestly shocked to hear it was Regulus' birthday. A quick scan of the Slytherin table showed no sign of the youngest Black. Feeling a little hurt, Hermione thought they had reached a point of mutual trust and solidified friendship, but she pushed these thoughts aside for later and scooted closer to Remus with her eyes glued to the doors.

"Is he okay?"

"Honestly?" Hermione nodded. "I don't think so. He stopped living with them all last summer, and he's been doing really well since then. At least, he seems like it. I think we forget sometimes that he has this whole other family outside of us, and even though he has us as his chosen family, it doesn't mean they don't still hurt him."

Hermione sighed, reached over and squeezed Remus' hand in thanks. She started to rise from the table when Remus did as well.

"Pup, you—you don't know where he's going." Remus sighed. "He's good at hiding when he wants to be." Hermione stepped away from him.

"I'll find him."

* * *

_The street was quiet. The house was quiet. As the wards fell, a ripple moved through the area, but the sky engulfed the feeling. The night wasn't offering cover; it was swallowing the street whole. A flick of a wrist and a hushed voice. Suddenly the door was open, and the hooded figures were passing through like souls chasing the afterlife. The door slammed behind them as soon as they completely crossed the threshold. Ten seconds passed before the reigning silence erupted into chaos._

* * *

As soon as she left the Great Hall, Hermione knew exactly where Sirius was. As much as he publicly spurned his little brother, Hermione never doubted that Sirius still loved him. And as much as he loved his bespoke family, Hermione knew first hand from her future Sirius that some wounds never completely heal.

Passing through the castle, Hermione all but ran to reach Sirius. It wasn't until she reached the doorway to the Astronomy Tower that she thought of Regulus. Standing in the same spot she had shared with him the night of Sirius' birthday, Hermione found herself again caught between the two brothers.

Despite her thoughts straying to Regulus and how he was spending his birthday, Hermione crept up the last few steps to the top of the tower. Sirius needed her now.

* * *

_The windows lit up first. The sparking lights moved through the first floor before ascending to the second floor. Like a summer storm, each flash was accompanied by a booming crash. A singular scream pierced the night, and then silence fell once more._

* * *

"Sirius?" Hermione's voice echoed and filled the open room. The boy in question was on his back in the middle of the floor, his eyes trained on the stars above his head. His hands were on his stomach, fingers fiddling with the cigarette box that had recently taken permanent residence in his pockets.

At the sound of Hermione calling his name, Sirius closed his eyes, but was otherwise silent. Hermione toed off her shoes and removed her robes. She sat beside Sirius and balled them into a makeshift pillow.

They lay side by side, illuminated by starlight and a stray torch. Hermione followed Sirius' gaze into the depths of outer space. Although astronomy had never been one of her favorite classes, she was still able to pick out the major constellations. She let her head fall to the side and shifted to face Sirius.

"Do they ever talk back?"

"I used to think they did, but I'm not so sure now."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"You're going to make me no matter what, aren't you?" Sirius struggled to smile. Hermione managed a sad one.

"Probably."

Silence.

"He turns seventeen today, loses the trace, becomes a man, the whole thing." He glanced at Hermione as if to check she was still listening. "I know—I just—I failed, didn't I? I'm supposed to be his big brother. I'm supposed to look out for him and keep him out of danger. I'm supposed to help him, damn it! And look where we are now. He's a fucking Death Eater, and I'm crying in the Astronomy Tower. What a waste."

Hermione flipped herself over, leaning her upper body on Sirius' chest. She locked him in place with eyes on fire. "Don't. Don't you dare say that, Sirius."

She reached out to place her palm against his cheek. Sirius closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. Hermione felt the sting of moisture from his tears.

"Regulus' choices are his own as heinous as they may seem. You cannot control him. You have become a brave and honorable man, and your family is full of fools if they cannot appreciate the beautiful heart you possess. You have risen above you circumstances, and I cannot watch you feel guilty for that."

"But what if I had stayed? What if I had made more of an effort? Why didn't I fight harder for him?"

Sirius cinched his eyes tighter closed. Hermione ran her thumb across his eyelids and the crease between his brows.

"We cannot change the past. No matter how much we wish it was true."

* * *

_The sky churned and tumbled in and over itself. Clouds rolled through as the wind picked up. The trees lining the quiet street bowed to the darkness infesting the house. A strangled shout, crazed, shot through the air, and the churning clouds sparked green. Their twisting began to take shape._

_A skull. A snake. Destruction and death._

* * *

It was long after curfew when Hermione and Sirius finally made their way back to the Gryffindor common room. In silent understanding, the two sat side by side on the couch by the fire instead of heading up to their respective dorms. Hermione stared out into the fire, trying to find the words she wanted to say.

"Sirius?" She waited for him to nod. "I know it's little consolation and might not be what you want to hear right now…"

"But?"

"But I still think you need to hear it. I want you to hear it." She took a deep breath. "I know you think you've let people down, and maybe you have, I don't know. What I do know is that you, the other Marauders and you—you all saved me. I was so lost when I came here, and you saved me."

"I didn't though. Remus did." Sirius averted his eyes. "I was a bloody arsehole to you."

"No!" Hermione laughed. "I mean, yes, you were, but that was it. You gave me a challenge, something to fight for. You made me want to befriend you. You made me want to stay."

Sirius didn't respond but threw his arm around Hermione to draw her close. Together they watched the fire fade to a flame.

Only when the final ember disappeared did Sirius turn to look down at Hermione. Fast asleep, she looked just like any other girl to Sirius – soft, pretty, feminine. Sirius almost wished she'd wake up and yell at him for staring so he could see the sparks in her eyes. Before he realized he had even moved, Sirius placed a kiss on her forehead. Hermione stirred and Sirius moved back, unsure if he wanted to get caught or not.

As Hermione reappeared in the land of the living, Sirius smiled and helped her to her feet.

"Let's get you to bed, Pup."

* * *

Elsewhere in the castle, Dumbledore paced in front of his window, pausing only when he felt a shiver in the wards. From his vantage point, Dumbledore watched a lone figure appear at the edge of the grounds. He watched until the figure stumbled to the doors of the castle before shaking his head and turning away to prepare for bed.

Floors below, the youngest male of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black emptied the contents of his stomach onto the front steps of the school.

* * *

**A/N: **As always let me know what you think!

Much love!


	45. Chapter 45

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

**A/N: **Look at that! Two chapters in two days. Whoo! This is part II of Regulus' birthday. Basically all one chapter, but works better split up. Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 45: If You Want Peace, Prepare for War**

**_DEATH EATER TERROR CONTINUES WITH HOME INVASION_**

_Aurors responded to the home of Ministry employee Desdemon Flynn in the early hours of the morning. Flynn lived with his wife and two children in a Muggle suburb. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement was alerted to the attack when the Muggle authorities received multiple reportings of a strange cloud formation in the sky. The formation was later authenticated as the Dark Mark, the sign found at other sites of Death Eater activity._

_…_

_St. Mungo's Hospital emergency staff pronounced Flynn's wife and children dead at the scene. Flynn was taken to St. Mungo's, but Healers were unable to revive him due to extensive injuries. _

_…_

_Auror Mad-Eye Moody was overheard speaking with fellow Auror Leif Folium. "This place is a mess. We'll need to get a professional team in here just to get the blood off the walls. Hey, you! Get out of here! No reporters! You want to hear about a murder scene? I'll show you a murder scene!" _

_…_

_Desdemon Flynn worked as an Unspeakable within the Ministry's Department of Mysteries. Although his work within the department remains classified, sources within the Ministry say there is a possibility that Flynn was targeted for his research._

_…_

_The funeral for the Flynn family will be held on Wednesday, 17 May. See page 7 for more details._

* * *

**13 May 1978**

**The Great Hall**

James set the paper back down in front of him. The pack's area of the Gryffindor table was quiet, digesting the news. Peter and Remus exchanged a glance saturated in dread and anxiety.

"We have to do something." James shoved the paper away from his plate. "This isn't stopping anytime soon. We_ have _to fight."

Peter, Remus, and Hermione looked at each other in apprehension. Sirius seethed in his seat.

"Those bloody Death Eaters," he spat. "And you know who was there, don't you? My fucking brother."

"Sirius!" Hermione gasped.

"Mate, calm down."

"Well he wasn't here, was he?" Sirius ran his hand through his hair. His eyes were shadowed, and Hermione's mind jumped to his future wanted poster. "Didn't see him at any meals, did we?"

"That doesn't mean anything," Remus tried to reason.

"C'mon, don't be naïve. You've heard the initiation stories. Soon as a baby Death Eater comes of age, he's taken out to take someone out. Murder! My brother's a bloody murderer."

Several other students glanced their way at the outburst. James grabbed a hold of Sirius' arm. The Marauders tried their best to calm him down. Hermione just sat in shock. Sirius opened his mouth to speak again when a shadow descended on the table.

"Ah, I see we've chosen the toast soldiers for today, Mr. Black. Excellent choice." The pack all turned to look up at Dumbledore. Sirius shut his mouth.

"Sir," James spoke up, drawing Dumbledore's attention. "It's just, these attacks. There must be something we can do."

"My dear boy," Dumbledore chuckled. "Surely you're not asking me to put children on the front line?"

Hermione choked on her tea.

"We're not children," James protested, flushing at his juvenile tone.

"As long as you all remain students at Hogwarts, I cannot condone your involvement in the upcoming war before you've graduated." His eyes twinkled. "Although as Seventh Years, you stand on the precipice of adulthood—" His voice trailed off, and his eyes wandered. The Marauders leaned in closer to the Headmaster. Peter jumped as Dumbledore snapped back into the moment.

"We will be announcing the lineup of guest speakers in the coming days. They will be giving talks about their chosen professions to help those of you who remain undecided." He stared down his half-moon spectacles at James. "Perhaps you all will find these enlightening."

And with that, the old wizard walked away.

"I swear," Peter said. "I can never tell if he's barmy or brilliant."

"Both," said Remus. "Definitely both."

At that moment, the doors to the Great Hall banged open. Regulus Black walked in. The pack quieted.

Hermione's brow furrowed as she got a good look at him. His eyes were bloodshot and laden down with heavy bags. His usually pale skin had taken on a deathly tinge. His movements were tight and awkward as he made his way down between the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables.

Sirius dropped his fork, letting it clash against his plate. Regulus looked over at the Gryffindor table. Sirius met his eyes and sneered. As Regulus passed his brother, Sirius turned away from him, muttering Latin under his breath.

"_Si vis pacem, para bellum_."

Regulus stumbled.

* * *

**The Room of Requirement**

Hermione took a deep breath before pushing open the door to the Room of Requirement, praying Regulus would be inside.

It was not the library this time. The room she stood in was distinctly different. It was Regulus' room at Grimmauld place, and he was hunched over, kneeling beside his untouched bed.

"Regulus?" She whispered, her heart breaking as she watched silent sobs wrack his body. Hermione thought for a second on how to comfort him. A trip to Hagrid's wouldn't do. A glass of firewhisky wouldn't do. Instead she gathered him up and helped him move onto the bed.

She climbed on beside him and sat against the headboard, pulling his head onto her lap. Not for the first time, Hermione wondered how Regulus managed to deal with the stress of his disillusionment. She moved her hand up to stroke his hair.

They sat there without talking. The only sounds in the room were the muffled ticking of the clock on the wall and their breathing, Regulus' noticeably shakier. After a couple of minutes, he spoke.

"I can't." It was whispered and breathy. And by the hoarseness of his voice, Hermione could tell he had been screaming. "I can't stop seeing it. I can't. I can't."

"Shh, shh," Hermione hushed as she continued to comb her fingers through his raven locks.

"I didn't want to. I didn't want to." Regulus started to chant. "I didn't want to, but they made me. I had to. I had to. I had to. They would have killed me."

"I know, I know. It's okay. You're okay. You're okay, Regulus."

"How can you touch me?" Disgust dripped from his jaw. "I'm a monster."

"I told you, Regulus. I'm still here." Her eyes prickled. "And I've told you before. You're worth fighting for."

Another round of sobs shook his body. Hermione never stopped stroking his hair as she began to whisper softly to him.

She talked about how thankful she was that he was the one who found her, how kind he was for being her friend, how compassionate he was for helping her in the days leading up to the full moon. She talks about how brave he was—oh, so brave—realizing his mistake and being able to admit it to her, how brave he was because he kept going back, knowing he was putting himself in danger.

She talked about how much she cared about him, how she swore to always be there to listen to and comfort him, how she swore she would always protect him.

Regulus just cried.

* * *

**A/N:** Let me know what you thought! Thanks for reading!


	46. Chapter 46

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, descriptions, places, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

**Summary:** It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era, with four new best friends.

* * *

**Chapter 46: Mind Games**

**17 May 1978**

**The Great Hall**

As the school sat down for lunch, the Seventh Years across the houses were all focused on the list of visiting professionals. Afternoon classes were canceled for the day so that the students could listen to and speak with the visitors. Hermione took a cursory glance at the list before shuffling away so others could see. Despite Sirius' promise to help Hermione and Remus after graduation, the thought of not being able to take her NEWTs or get a job weighed heavily on Hermione's mind.

Nonetheless, Dumbledore's list of visitors was impressive. Among the names of ministry personnel, several academics, and a curse breaker were a few Hermione recognized. Mad-Eye Moody, of course, had James and Sirius excited. _Although,_ Hermione thought,_ he would be just Regular-Eye Moody in this time._ Remus and Lily were huddled together talking about Olivander. Hermione felt a burst of jealousy at the look of excitement on Remus' face.

Hermione knew Remus was looking forward to hearing Olivander because he was purely interested in the theories behind wand making, but part of her wanted him to feel just as poorly as she did. Shoving that part of her aside, she decided she needed to get out of the Great Hall before she ruined anyone else's mood.

Catching a moment in which everyone was distracted, Hermione slipped away to the library.

Pushing open the doors, Hermione let out a sigh as she stepped into the comfortable solace of the Hogwarts library. Letting her feet guide her, she passed through the stacks without direction. Lost in her thoughts, Hermione didn't realize anyone else was around until she ran smack into a black wall.

As her eyes moved up the solid wall of black fabric, Hermione could feel the tension mounting around her. Severus Snape. Hermione had never been the biggest fan of Snape, but at least as a professor he had had her respect. Well, that is until he killed the greatest hope the Light had in fighting Voldemort. No, now Hermione hated Professor Snape, and this younger version wasn't much better in her books.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Hermione could see the disgust dripping from his crooked teeth. "Shouldn't you be hanging off the Marauders?" He raked his eyes up and down her form. "Frankly, I don't see it, but hey, one man's trash…"

"Shove off, Snape. I'm not in the mood." Snape laughed. Well, Hermione could only assume it was supposed to be a laugh, but she had never heard the sound come from him before.

"Oh ho, that's not very nice, Granger."

"Seriously, Snape. Go away."

"No, I want to know why you're not at the lectures."

"I could ask you the same question."

"I already have a job after school." Hermione wanted to smack the self-satisfied grin right off his face.

"Does it involve sulking around a castle in Transylvania?"

"No," he said, sharper than he must have intended. Hermione could tell she hit a nerve. "I'm to begin an apprenticeship for my Mastery in potions."

"Huh, how much did that cost Lucius?"

"Shut your mouth." This time Hermione laughed.

"Oh ho, that's not very nice, Snape."

"At least I'm doing something after this shithole. No need to ask what you're doing." As Hermione turned away, Snape's eyes flashed wicked before he called out to her. "Tell me, do they at least take turns at you?"

Hermione whipped around, her wand sliding from her sleeve to her palm to Snape's neck. A growl was forming in the back of her throat, and she was starting to pant. Red spots popped across her vision. Snape laughed.

"Oh please, like _you'd_ curse me."

"You don't know me." Her lip curled, her teeth bared.

"Of course, I do." Snape's lips smacked with each consonant. "You're Lupin's bitch."

"At least I'm not a Death Eater," Hermione spat. This time Snape's arm shot out, and Hermione felt the cold touch of wood against her neck. Hermione sensed the rumble of her inner wolf against the walls of her chest.

"You shouldn't speak about things you don't understand."

Hermione barked out a laugh exhilarated. "Oh, but I do. Tell me, is it hard being in Slytherin while you're just a lowly half-blood." Sarcasm foamed at the edges of her grin. "Surely they don't treat you as the Prince you so clearly are. Huh, the Half-Blood Prince."

Snape's walls dropped for the smallest of seconds. He glanced a look at his forgotten book bag before casting his eyes back on the witch before him.

"I know all about you, Snape." Gold specks sparked in Hermione's eyes like two electrical wires touching behind her irises. Her voice suddenly dropped and quieted as an uneasy calm settled over her. "Even your worst memory."

Severus took a step back. "You don't know shit."

"Oh really? It was your spell they used, wasn't it? What was it? Oh, that's right—" Hermione arm jerked as she shouted the spell. "Levicorpus."

As soon as the word took root in the back of Hermione's mouth, Snape had a protective shield in place. The jinx flashed against the shield before dissipating. And then before Hermione could make her next move, Snape spoke.

"Legilimens."

* * *

Fog sat low on the ground. The air was still and quiet. The great willow stood frozen, its powerful arms extended mid-motion in a warrior's cry. Not a leaf twitched or shook.

Hermione watched as a figure concealed by the dark cover of night moved toward the hidden entrance to the tunnel. Despite the eerie feeling of detachment one experiences when viewing a memory, Hermione could still remember the earthy scent of the Whomping Willow. As the ground of Hogwarts started to fray into silver wisps, Hermione crawled forward, following the figure down into the darkness.

He was moving quickly in front of her, but his gait was off, as if he was unsure of his own footing or what the earth held in front of him. Hermione, having taken this tunnel before, started to gain on him. She reached his side just as the ground began to slope upward.

Suddenly, a growl shook the tunnel. Dirt fell in clumps from the ceiling. Hermione shuddered along with her unknown companion. Rays of light stretched desperate from further up the path, and Hermione moved around to try to see the face of her host.

A hand flew to her mouth as Hermione recognized the face of the seventeen-year-old version of her potions professor. _This was his memory_. And then it all came flooding back—the argument in the library, the growing tension, the spell. _She was in his memory_.

Hermione's heart rate picked up as she looked for a way to escape Snape's mind. The growling continued, and Hermione could hear wet panting and heavy thuds. The look on Snape's face showed absolute terror.

"SNAPE!"

Hermione and Snape spun around as a voice echoed from behind them. They stood, squinting into the darkness, as an out of breath James Potter ran into view.

"Snape," he panted. "You've—You've got to get out of here."

"Not a chance, Potter," Snape spat out angrily even as his voice cracked. "I'm finding out the truth. Tonight."

"You don't get it." James grabbed both of Snape's shoulders. "You need to get out of here. It's not safe."

Another crash sounded from above them. James' eyes widened at the sound of breaking wood and a dog's whimper. Hermione was already backing away from the entrance to the Shrieking Shack when James moved around Snape and shoved him back.

"You need to leave! Now!"

Finally sensing the gravity of the situation, Snape started to step backward. His pace, however, earned him another shove from James, who was trying to maintain an eye on Snape and an eye on the entrance.

"Oi, stop shoving me!"

"Leave!"

There was a terrible snarl… entirely too close. Everyone froze.

Time started to move again as the three students turned and ran back into the tunnel. James and Hermione jumped and scuttled along as Snape once again picked up an awkward stride, falling behind.

They had almost reached the Whomping Willow entrance when a howl surged through the tunnel behind them. Severus looked back and screamed.

There in the darkness stood an enormous over-grown wolf. Eyes flashed gold; spit dripped from protruding fangs. And then it started to move.

Snape stood frozen as the werewolf stalked forward. James reappeared, his face blocking Snape's view of the creature.

"MOVE!"

James shoved Snape, manhandling him up the tunnel entrance. Hermione took one last look at Moony before following. As she exited the tunnel and shuffled away from the tree, Hermione's felt a hot, white pressure burst against her chest, and she was standing in the library, face-to-face with Severus Snape once more.

"How did you do that?" Snape's voice was breathy. "What the hell are you?"

Hermione stared at him, still in shock over the memory she had just experienced.

"He finally did it." Snape had gone pale, and his eyes were glassy like he too hadn't recovered from the experience.

"What are you talking about?" Hermione stammered out. Snape's eyes cleared as he came back to reality, but the hidden fear remained.

"He bit you. Lupin bit you. You're like him now, aren't you." It wasn't a question. Hermione tried to shush him, but he shoved her hand away. "You're not denying it."

"I'm not even going to acknowledge your insane assumptions." She looked around wildly for anyone who might overhear.

"Oh, please."

"Why would you even think that?"

"Legilimency didn't work." Hermione blinked at the unexpected answer.

"What?"

"You didn't know?" Snape laughed. The second time in just a few minutes. Hermione shuddered. "Ah, seems like the insufferable know-it-all doesn't know as much as she thinks."

"That doesn't mean anything," she rambled off, trying to regain composure. "Maybe I'm just a good occlumens."

"Please, you're not even a good liar." Snape sneered. "Seems like you need to do some more research on your species, Mutt." And with that, Snape threw one last disgusted look and turned away, leaving Hermione to her own thoughts.

_Werewolves. Legilimency. Where is the cross-over?_ She searched her inner library of knowledge, and her third-year essay started to come back to her.

_"…During the monthly transformation, the werewolf loses all sense of self…"_

_No, no, something else._

_"…In addition to the reasons explained above, werewolves are also considered dangerous members of wizarding society because they are immune to several of the tactics of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement…"_

_Yes, something there. What was it? What was it?_

_"…they are immune to several of the tactics of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, including legilimency, veritaserum, and basic forms of pain-focused torture. The immunity is believed to be a result of the inner wolf's dominating presence over the witch or wizard. For example, it is well documented that legilimency does not work on animals…"_

_Holy shit. _

_He knows._

Hermione blinked once. Twice. Three times before grabbing for her bag and sprinting from the library. Panic and rage clouded Hermione's vision, and before she knew it she was bursting into Dumbledore's office.

"He knows!" She was shouting, throwing her hands around. "Dumbledore, he knows. He knows, and you have to stop him. I don't know who he's going to tell, but he knows. He knows!"

Hermione ended her tirade and looked around. Her face flamed red as she realized Dumbledore wasn't alone. Two men stood behind Dumbledore wearing looks of shock, one speckled with amusement and one with annoyance.

"Just what do you think you're doing, missy?" Hermione couldn't help but stare at this younger version of Moody. It was disarming to say the least. She cocked her head to the side as she quite blatantly gawked at him. Shaking herself a bit, Hermione turned her eyes toward Dumbledore's other guest.

It was the man from Tomes and Scrolls, the one she had met almost a month prior. His mouth was quirked up in a half smile. _What was his name again?_

Dumbledore coughed, and Hermione looked into his twinkling eyes.

"Oh, sorry," she stuttered. "I'm sorry. I'll just—" She looked around herself before walking sideways toward the door. "Yeah, I'll just go wait outside. Sorry. Uh, sorry about that."

The bookkeeper smiled, and Moody frowned at her. Hermione hesitated in her movements before finally fully leaving the office. As she closed the door behind her, she caught the beginnings of a conversation.

"Who was that, Albus?"

Hermione strained her ears, trying to use her werewolf super hearing to hear into the office, but of course, Dumbledore had heavy-duty silencing charms already in place. She huffed and leaned against the door. As she waited for Dumbledore to dismiss his guests, Hermione counted out her breaths in an attempt to find calm again.

The door opened, and Hermione fell into the arms of the person behind her. Blushing furiously, Hermione pushed out of the arms to regain her footing.

"Sorry," she muttered, turning to face the trio emerging from Dumbledore's office. The bookkeeper, who must have been the one to catch her, held up his hands, smiling.

"You keep doing that," he teased. "Apologizing."

"Sorry," she blurted, immediately shutting her eyes and grimacing.

"Gentlemen, Hermione Granger," Dumbledore interrupted, motioning toward her to introduce her. "Miss Granger, Auror Moody and Ben Goldstein."

Hermione nodded at the two. Moody glanced at her before turning to Dumbledore.

"Albus, there is one more thing."

"Of course, of course," the Headmaster nodded. "I'll walk you down. Miss Granger, I won't be but a moment."

The two wizards walked to the stairway, leaving Hermione in the presence of the bookkeeper. She busied herself with a loose thread on her sleeve.

"I didn't see you at the talks," the bookkeeper, Ben Goldstein apparently, interrupted the awkward silence.

"I wasn't there."

"Oh, not a Seventh Year?"

"No, I am." He seemed to be waiting for her to explain more. She didn't. Silence fell again. Hermione shifted on her feet. "How was it? Your talk, I mean."

"Surprisingly well," he grinned.

"Why was it surprising?"

"Well, I only just graduated a few years ago. I still know some of the students fairly well. I was a prefect after all." He chuckled. "I dunno, I guess I expected at least a few of them to give me a hard time."

"I can imagine some people would think they could get away with teasing a bookkeeper," Hermione agreed.

"Bookkeeper?" He looked confused. "I'm not a—oh, well, yes. Yes, I am a bookkeeper _now_."

"Now? What were you before?"

"An acquirer." This time Hermione looked confused.

"What's an acquirer?"

"Well, really I was a curse-breaker," he explained. "But if you want to get technical, my official title was acquirer. Basically, I was responsible for locating and procuring certain items."

"Oh." Hermione's mind spun out questions, but she refrained from bombarding the poor man with all of them. "So what made you stop?"

"There was a, uh, an expedition in Bermuda." His smile dropped, and Hermione suddenly felt she was intruding.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to pry. You don't have to tell me."

"There you go apologizing again." His smile returned partway at her blush. "No, it's okay. The expedition didn't go as planned, and I almost died. I'm not afraid of death, but I figured if I was going to die, I didn't want to do it alone on an island. So I came back, quit my job, and moved to Hogsmeade."

"And started working as a bookkeeper?"

"And started working as a bookkeeper, yeah." His smile was back. Hermione found herself smiling as well.

"Why bookkeeping?"

"Seemed logical," he shrugged. "I've always been the academic type. Ravenclaw, in case you haven't guessed yet." He nudged her. "Plus it's a good way to meet like-minded people."

Hermione blushed again, but before she could respond, Dumbledore returned.

"Miss Granger," he opened the door to his office. "I believe there was something you needed to tell me."

The intense urgency Hermione had felt before in the library came rushing back. She hurried into Dumbledore's office leaving Ben looking after her.

The door shut, and Dumbledore grew serious.

"What happened, Miss Granger?"

"It's Snape, sir," Hermione began. "I ran into him in the library, and we got into an argument. One thing led to another and our wands were out. I'll admit I fired first, but he shielded himself."

She looked straight at Dumbledore, trying to impress upon him the gravity of the situation.

"He cast _legilimens_ on me, sir."

"Ah," was all Dumbledore said for a minute. Hermione grew frustrated.

"Yes, ah! Except it didn't work. He didn't go inside my mind; I went inside his!"

"Ah." Hermione growled at Dumbledore. "So now he knows the truth of your condition."

"Yes, now he knows because legilimency doesn't work on werewolves," Hermione noticed Dumbledore's calm. "Which you already knew. Of course, you already knew."

"Yes, I already knew. Quite convenient in fact for you, to hide the events of your coming here, to this time."

"Is that—" Hermione furrowed her brow. "Is that how you knew I was a werewolf when I first arrived? Did you try to read my mind?"

"Yes."

Hermione sank into a chair, defeated.

"What are we going to do?" she whispered. "What is Snape going to do? What if he tells Voldemort?"

"He will do no such thing," Dumbledore stated.

"But how do you know?" Hermione was desperate.

"He is under vow."

"But that only applies to Remus," Hermione protested.

"Not necessarily. I believe the exact phrasing required Severus' silence in exposing not just Remus but those who spend the full moons with him." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with collusion behind his half-moon glasses. "This now includes you."

"I see."

"You need not fear Mr. Snape exposing you just yet," Dumbledore warned. "But I would suggest avoiding any unnecessary contact with the young man. For all our sakes."

"Yes, sir," Hermione mumbled.

"Now then, I believe it is almost time for dinner. If you'll excuse me, Miss Granger." Dumbledore flicked a hand, and the doors to his office opened with a clang. Hermione nodded to the headmaster and walked back to Gryffindor tower in a daze.

Snape knew. He wasn't going to be able to tell, but he knew now. That was dangerous. Hermione thought back to their encounter. He had guessed, as well, that Remus had been the one to bite her. That was even more dangerous. If Remus found out he was responsible for her lycanthropy… all could be lost.

* * *

**The Great Hall**

Before dinner, Hermione had sat down the Marauders to update them on the situation. They were furious. Hermione had needed to cast _petrificus_ _totalus_ on Sirius to stop him from going after Snape. She explained her conversation with Dumbledore, promising the vow extended to cover her as well. But even as they sat down to eat, the pack was agitated and uneasy. Sirius was exceptionally quiet as Hermione had described her foray into the mind of Severus Snape.

"How were the talks?" Hermione tried to change the topic of conversation.

"Brilliant, actually," James perked up. "You should have heard Moody's stories, Pup. The man's a legend."

"And Olivander?" Hermione asked, turning to Remus. The poor boy looked sick, but attempted a smile.

"Fascinating, of course. Still completely barmy, but fascinating."

"Are we to expect any more outbursts from you tonight, Miss Granger?" A voice sounded from behind her. Hermione turned to look up at Ben Goldstein. "I do enjoy a good show with my dinner."

"Hermione. Please, call me Hermione." Ben grinned.

"Enjoy your dinner, Hermione." Hermione and the boys watched as Ben left to join the rest of the visitors at the head table.

"Hermione, you didn't tell us you knew Ben Goldstein," Peter said in awe. "His talk today was wicked!"

"I don't really," Hermione shrugged, her eyes still on Ben as he took a seat next to Professor Novikov. "We've only met once before today. I ran into him in Dumbledore's office."

"Still," Peter gushed. "He's amazing. Graduated top of the class his year, went into curse-breaker training. He was the youngest acquirer in years."

"Huh," Hermione mumbled, distracted. Peter sensed he had lost her attention and turned to reengage James.

Throughout dinner, Hermione continued to glance toward the head table, all the while a certain Animagus kept glancing between her and where her gaze pointed.


End file.
